Daily Times

Former Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair has been appointed as the spokesperson for PML-N supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, party spokeswoman Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Monday.

In a statement posted on PML-N’s Twitter account, Aurangzeb said that a spokespersons’ committee would also be formed under the guidance of the party’s primary spokesperson and central information secretary.

Dr Mussadiq Malik, Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha, Talal Chaudhry, Uzma Bukhari and Ataullah Tarar would be part of the committee, the statement added.

The news of Zubair’s appointment comes less than two weeks after the Pakistan Army disclosed that he had twice reached out to Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and discussed political and legal woes of Nawaz and his daughter in the past few weeks.

In his first press conference after being appointed as spokesperson, Zubair lashed out at Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill who had alleged that Nawaz was targeting the army because it “questioned him about his anti-state activities in league with Indian premier Narendra Modi and his business partnership with Indian businessman Sajjan Jindal”.

Zubair said Nawaz did not need the support of Indians as he already has the support of Pakistanis. “If you don’t have support here, then God forbid you would go to India but we have support here. Pakistan’s people are not satisfied with this government according to a survey. We should not be told who Nawaz Sharif met, this is utter lies and we condemn this.

“Shahbaz Gill, Sheikh Rashid and others said that 11-12 Indians met Maryam Nawaz recently. Now tell me [how is it] that 11-12 Indians are roaming freely in Pakistan and the government knows nothing. Who gave the news to Gill and Rashid? When you have nothing political left, that’s what you do (level allegations),” he said.