Daily Times

Terming the decision of the accountability court against Nawaz Sharif “murder of justice”, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that the former premier will return to Pakistan on July 13 to send his opponents packing.

“The day Nawaz Sharif will set foot in Pakistan he will transform the democratic history of Pakistan forever,” the former information minister said during a press conference at the party’s secretariat in Model Town, Lahore on Sunday.

“July 25 will be the day of judgement. Nawaz’s return will be marked by a historic welcome, which will redefine the history Pakistan,” she said, and added that that a committee had been set to organise a grand welcome.

She went on to say that the protest would be absolutely peaceful to express solidarity with the party’s quaid. “The PML-N does not want to give its opponents any chance to cry foul.”

She said that veteran legal experts, learned journalists and knowledgeable scholars have termed the decision of the NAB court “controversial” and “weak”. She said that repeated delays were made to “modify and change” the verdict, while Nawaz’s request for a “minor delay” was not entertained.

Marriyum stated that the “Whatsapp JIT” and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), despite their relentless efforts, could not present a single document to prove allegations regarding the ownership of Avenfield apartments. The PML-N spokesperson said that all legal and constitutional options would be utilised to challenge the verdict. She said that the “real crime of Nawaz Sharif was that he conducted atomic tests, brought economic prosperity through the CPEC and fought for true democracy in the country”.

She questioned the rationale of punishing Maryam Nawaz when no corruption was proven against Nawaz. “If the original crime was not proven, how could be anyone sentenced to jail on abetment to a crime that was never proven,” she questioned.

Such verdicts are not new to Nawaz, she said and added that he had faced such verdicts and odds before. “Nawaz has taken this rough path for the supremacy of democracy and constitution of Pakistan,” she concluded.

Published in Daily Times, July 9^th 2018.