Naveed Ahmad Khan
RAWALPINDI : Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president Maryam Nawaz lambasted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, saying no one will save the latter from arrest if Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah decided.
Addressing a convention, Ms Nawaz heaped praise on PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, saying, “Nawaz has an old habit of solving all the problems, created by others.”
Lashing out at PTI Chairman Imran Khan, she said, “Imran is reluctant to present himself before the court by making excuses for his injury.” She added that the foreign funding case in connection with the deposed premier was based on reality.
He reminded the PML-N supporters of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s all-out efforts, saying the premier was trying his level best to take the country out of a quagmire.
She praised the PML-N workers, saying, “The PML-N workers have left no stone unturned to show their courage.”
On Sunday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed on Sunday the government would counter Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s “Jail Bharo Tehreek” in a way no one could imagine.
Addressing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) organization convention, he said that on one side Mr Khan had announced the movement while on the other hand, he had called the party’s female workers to the roads to defend himself against his [possible] arrest. “You [Mr Khan] start the movement once and see how we respond”, he added. The government, he said, would not stuff the jails with people Mr Khan had misguided but it would put the PTI workers behind bars who wanted to spread anarchy in the country.
He said the Imran group had been trying for the last seven months to push the country to the brink of default adding the PML-N had been trying to steer the country out of crises instead. “The PML-N and Nawaz Sharif pushed the country out of quagmire when needed”, he added. Mr Khan, he said, pushed President Dr Arif Alvi to refrain from assenting to the [mini-budget] ordinance so that it might delay the IMF program.
Commenting on the general elections in the country, he said that transparent elections could be held only if a single interim government were present in the country. “The constitution binds to hold elections within 90 days after the dissolution of assembly but it binds so under the supervision of caretaker setup to ensure transparency”, he added. Elections, he said, would continue for the whole year if they were held separately for the National Assembly and provincial assemblies.
He said it would allow the Imran group to float rigging as he would contend that the PML-N was in power in the federation and its allies were ruling Sindh and Balochistan. “Then he will push the country toward anarchy as he is always ready to do that”, he added. Mr Khan employed different tactics, he said, such as long marches, rallies, and protests to fuel instability in the country.