ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “game is over now” and hinted that party president Shehbaz Sharif would be the PML-N’s candidate for the office of the prime minister in case the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Khan succeeds.
Talking to reporters outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the PML-N vice-president maintained that since the “wave of neutrality” is in the air these days, and the one-term “neutrality” has made “one person” very upset and turned his 22 years struggle to dust with his entire party crumbling.
“You never allowed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to remain neutral. You have always tried your level best to conspire. So, you always wanted someone to complete your numbers,” she said, adding that the numbers of Imran Khan were never complete in 2018 election, then in Gilgit-Baltistan elections, in the AJK elections, and in the Senate election.
“In all these elections, you were short in numbers [to form governments],” she maintained. “Today, you are also short of numbers. So, you want someone to manage the numbers for you; to send your opponents to jails; to keep you all alone in the field; to manage media for you and to manage all the institutions for you…What you really want,” she asked Prime Minister Khan.
“If someone is not ready to do all these for you, then you call them “Janwar” [animal]. What message are you giving to the world,” she added.
She said that being neutral is abiding by the Constitution and it is a good move, if someone is calling for following the Constitution, adding that it should not be upsetting for anyone.
“Your electoral prospects in the wake of inflation and lack of governance are bleak…And you must know that no one would now come to rescue you. You know you have lost it and your game is now over,” she added.
She pointed out that in the Senate elections, the PTI did not have enough numbers but despite that it won. “I would like him [the PM to] tell us what he had done then? Were you involved in horse-trading? If it was legal at that time, why do you have issues now?” she said, while referring to the prime minister’s criticism on his party’s estranged members to have sold out to the opposition.
She further stated that the prime minister had stated that Nawaz Sharif’s politics was over by sending him and his daughter to jails. “Today, the same Nawaz Sharif has beaten you by entering your house while sitting abroad. You have now become an example of lesson for others to take the way you are begging everyone [for support] and paying visits to people with one or two seats,” she added.
“This also remind me when you refused to visit the Hazaras in Quetta, who were sitting with the dead bodies of their loved ones and said you won’t get blackmailed…You are the victim of your own arrogance, “Makafat-e-Amal”, and not any conspiracy. And now you are claiming that you’re becoming victim of an international conspiracy for being “independent” as you yesterday referred to India and praised the Modi government for having an independent foreign policy,” she said.
“I just wanted to show you the mirror. Yesterday, you’re waiting to receive a call from President Biden and you made every effort. When the call did not come, then “independence” comes to your mind,” she maintained, adding: “No one needs to hatch a conspiracy against you. You are victim of your own incompetence.”
Responding to a question that the prime minister has warned those voting for the no-confidence motion have to pass from the gathering of 10 million people, she said that “the one who is unable to bring 10 members is talking about 10 million people.”
She criticised the prime minister for bad-mouthing the opponents in his speeches, terming his speeches to be of a “defeated” person. “Every party goes through these phases”, but none ever resort to use of foul language the way Imran Khan did…You ridicule opponents, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari,” she maintained. “Someone should also teach him [the PM] what a grace is under pressure,” she added.
“As a mother, I would urge mothers across Pakistan not to let their children watch such speeches of a bad-mouthed person, as we don’t want our new generation to be grown in such an environment of foul language,” she added.
When asked who would be the next premier after the no-trust move succeeds, she said that the opposition would sit and decide about it, adding that Shehbaz Sharif would be the PML-N candidate.
To another question about reports that Chaudhry Nisar has visited Bani Gala in a bid to defect certain PML-N members of the provincial assembly, Maryam declined to comment, saying: “It’s ridiculous.”
To another query, she said that the people have shown the “red card” to the prime minister and now it is time for his “accountability”. According to her, four years are sufficient to show the performance of a person.
Maryam also criticised the role of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser for delaying the assembly session, adding that disobeying the Constitution would invoke Article 6.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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