Daily Times

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Saturday came out with startling claims regarding the trial of her father and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in corruption references, alleging that the whole process of accountability was severely compromised.

Addressing a press conference in Model Town along with entire senior party leadership, including her uncle and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam said accountability court judge Arshad Malik gave verdict under immense pressure while awarding seven-year imprisonment to Nawaz Sharif in the Al Azizia Steel Mill reference. She also played a video recording of judge Arshad Malik and PML-N worker Nasir Butt in which the judge purportedly claimed that he was under immense pressure to give the verdict against Nawaz Sharif.

“We provided all the documentary proofs of our family businesses to the courts but still a former prime minister was put behind the bars along with his daughter while rejecting all the eyewitnesses,” Maryam said. “We approached the courts repeatedly over cases against us but in vain … but then a ‘divine help’ came in the form of the video tape of the judge who gave the verdict against Nawaz Sharif,” she said. “The man who gave verdict against Nawaz Sharif himself admitted that injustice was done with him as financial corruption or embezzlement wasn’t proved against him,” she claimed.

“The accountability court judge told PML-N’s Nasir Butt that he feels guilt after giving verdict against Nawaz and that he is having nightmares these days,” Maryam said while referring to judge Arshad Malik. She also quoted the judge as saying in the video clip that not even a single allegation of financial corruption, kickback or embezzlement was proved against Nawaz Sharif. “The judge also admitted that Hussain Nawaz is not a citizen of Pakistan and that he is not involved in the money laundering at all,” she said.

“The judge told Nasir Butt that the cases have already been decided and that he is facing pressure to follow the guidelines only,” she said. “Some people took the judge away and showed him an immoral video of him to pressurise him,” she claimed, and went on to say that a whole game plan was orchestrated against Nawaz Sharif and the sit-ins staged by the PTI in last government were also part of that game. Maryam also warned not to start any conspiracy against her otherwise she has ‘more things to show to the people’.

Maryam lauded the services of her uncle Shehbaz Sharif for the people of Punjab as chief minister of the largest province. She also condemned the arrest of her cousin Hamza Shehbaz by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). “They are still scared of Nawaz Sharif as they are not allowing him to meet the party workers and have the home-made food. We all should stop the passage of a ‘selected’ prime minister who has ruined this country in just 10 months,” she said. “Come in the field and you cannot stand firm for even a single minute,” she said. “The elected people have been put behind the bars to ensure rigging in the general election and the election results were tampered to favour the candidates of PTI,” she alleged.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said that solid evidence has surfaced in which it has become clear now that injustice was done to Nawaz Sharif. “I hope that the apex court and ‘powerful institutions’ will provide justice to Nawaz Sharif after this video proof,” he said.

An apparent unity was seen within the PML-N as Maryam and Shehbaz shared the stage. Shehbaz also showed his affection towards Maryam during the presser while calling her daughter. Senior leadership of PML-N including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanveer and Pervaiz Rasheed were also present on the occasion.