Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz on Thursday urged unnamed institutions “not to come face to face” with the people of Pakistan for the sake of what she called the “incapable” government of Prime Minister Imran Khan. She was addressing a public gathering in Quetta’s Ayub Stadium, which one of numerous events and rallies held across the country by the opposition parties to mark the first anniversary of the general election 2018 as ‘Black Day’.
Addressing the “respected institutions” of the country, Maryam said that these institutions represented all the provinces of Pakistan, “but you are not the institutions of Imran Khan”. “You are not the representatives of the man who brought historical failure to Pakistan.” “Don’t pick up a fight with the people for the incapable and failed Imran Khan,” she said while addressing the unnamed institutions. Claiming that the people of Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were upset with the institutions, she urged those powers to “come forward and hug” the people of various provinces and solve their issues, “honour the vote” and let the people’s representatives be elected. Maryam said the opposition parties were observing ‘Black Day’ because a year ago on this day, “your vote was crushed under the foot.”
She questioned the origins of the ruling Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), saying it was imposed upon the people of Balochistan after “snatching” their right to elect their representative. The people’s “true representatives” were forced to switch their loyalties and “fake cases” were instituted against those who refused to comply, the PML-N leader alleged.
Referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan as “selected” once again, she alleged that every day under the rule of the incumbent government was a black day for Pakistanis suffering from high inflation and the loss of their businesses.
Over in Lahore, the joint opposition led by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif held a protest rally on The Mall. The district administration didn’t allow the opposition parties to set up their stage at Charing Cross, while the chairs and sound system were also confiscated by the local police by citing an LHC order that banned holding public rallies on The Mall.
The people started gathering at the venue in the evening, while the leadership came at late night to address the workers present there. Shehbaz Sharif led a huge rally from Model Town to The Mall along with other leaders and workers. “The PTI used to address the empty chairs in the past but now it didn’t allow us to put the chairs here but still the whole area has become the venue of the public gathering,” said Shehbaz Sharif.
Lashing out at the government, he said that Rana Sanaullah, Kh Saad Rafique and Hamza Shahbaz were arrested just because of the services of Nawaz Sharif that he gave to this country. The government has made the life of a common man as miserable by increasing the prices of medicine and essential commodities, he said.