LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz while expressing joy over return of her passport said that foul play was played with her as no case was made out in which her passport was taken into custody.

“I am happy that I have received my passport, but I would like to ask as to why I was deprived of my fundamental right for three years,” she said while talking to media at the PML-N Secretariat.

Slamming Imran Khan, she said when he was in power, he liked the institutions but when they refused to change his nappies, he abused the word ‘neutral’. She said Imran Khan had made a word like neutral an abuse, adding he also launched a campaign against the victims of helicopter crash. “If NROs are not found in the secret meeting of the President’s House, Imran started criticizing them,” she said. “When the Chief Election Commissioner caught Imran Khan’s theft, he became evil and corrupt. Imran Khan wants those neutrals who will give him a vote of confidence and if they start changing his nappies today, all is well.”

Maryam maintained that her passport was confiscated when the “foreign-funded Fitna (anarchist) Imran Khan” was in power and he was afraid that her public meetings would lead to his ouster.

Maryam said she remained in custody for about three and half months. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested her while she was visiting her father in jail under the pretext of investigation. “They kept me on the NAB premises unlawfully as there was no space to detain a woman at NAB; they evacuated their daycare centre and held me there,” she said. “Later she was shifted to Kot Lakpat Jail on judicial custody.”

To a query, she said the Islamabad High Court’s decision, dismissing the contempt case against the ‘devil’ had emboldened him.

Maryam spoke at length about her legal battles, Khan’s vendetta against her family, the court’s decision to let him go, and other pressing political matters. “There should be no leniency with a person like Khan who thinks like “Satan” and his only job is to blame people and launch smear campaigns. For years, he (Imran) has been doing this; and when he does something illegal and sees that action will be taken against him, he apologizes.”

The PML-N leader said Khan went to the chambers of Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry to apologise. “Was Zeba asked whether she wants to forgive him or not? Do you (courts) know what kind of precedent are they setting? Now, anyone can abuse and threaten any woman in jalsas,” Maryam said. Since Khan has been forgiven, the contempt cases against PML-N leaders Talal Chaudhry, Daniyal Aziz, and Nehal Hashmi should also be discharged, she said.

She expressed gratitude to everyone including the media and her legal team for helping her in the cases lodged against her. “They held me there for 57 days,” Maryam noted, adding that during the probe, the investigators would ask her questions totally unrelated to the case including Paulo Coelho’s book she was reading and who sets the menu for her family. “They did not have any case against me; they confiscated my passport and did not return it for three years,” she said.

She further said she wasn’t sentenced to jail in the Calibri font (Panama Papers) case, which stirred up controversies and legal battles eventually leading to her father’s ouster as prime minister. “The question is: why was a false case built against me?”

To a query, she said she would bring facts before the nation on receipt of detailed judgement in Panama case. To another query, she said “the way of Nawaz Sharif is clear, now an application will be submitted. Nawaz would return to the country soon but would decide about the time at his own,” she added.

She further said the dollars’ worth was improving and “our opponents are aware that with strengthening of economy, there will be no space for them in political arena. It would be shame on those who made fake cases against Ishaq Dar and others,” she added.

She said the PTI was not happy with Dar’s return as he would now improve the economy. “Dar’s return was a slap on their face. Dar has led the country out of many economic crises,” she said. She also criticized the PTI government for withdrawing cases against Farah Goggi. She said there were serious allegations and proofs against Imran Khan and he would not escape from the accountability. She further said she was proceeding to London to meet her father and to undergo throat surgery.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022