Daily Times

Implying that the video of accountability court judge Arshad Malik proved former prime minister Nawaz Sahrif’s innocence, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Sunday demanded Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign and leave the power corridors.

Addressing a public rally in Mandi Bahauddin despite the government’s refusal to give permission for the gathering in the city owing to security concerns, Maryam said her father stood vindicated before 220 million people of the country. “Enemies have surrounded Nawaz Sharif… he was convicted in one case after the other,” she said, adding that her father was not only innocent but also brave, “who knew that it was not accountability but political vendetta, but still he remained quiet before the law and went to prison”.

She said Nawaz was punished for raising his voice for the people and demanding the authorities to “give respect to vote”. “The only thing Nawaz did wrong was that he didn’t do anything wrong,” she said, adding that keeping Nawaz in prison was a crime. She lashed out at the prime minister and demanded his resignation over the “crimes” he had committed. “Imran Khan believes that he would trigger the inflation bomb and get away with it, but it will not happen,” she said, adding that the “selected” premier could no longer hide his incompetence in the name of accountability. She also criticised the authorities for not allowing her to hold a public gathering in the city, saying that Imran was afraid to give permission to hold just one rally. She said it took her 10 hours to reach Mandi Bahauddin, which usually takes around two hours, and added that she was determined to meet her supporters at all costs. It may be mentioned here that Maryam reached the venue at around midnight and tweeted that owing to a large crowd, she could not get out of her car for 50 minutes.

Earlier, Maryam took a jibe at accountability court judge Arshad Malik, thanking him for not denying the video in his press statement issued in response to a press conference made by her a day earlier.

“To the honorable judge who passed a verdict against his conscience after being subjected to blackmailing and coercion: I can understand that you must have signed on an already drafted press release under compulsion like the verdict. Thank you very much! You have attested the evidence by not denying the video. The rest to be revealed in Mandi Bahauddin…,” Maryam posted on her Twitter handle.