ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz on Thursday refused to accept Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan as a stakeholder in the country’s politics, who, she claimed was “launched to create anarchy in Pakistan”.
Talking to reporters here, she maintained that Khan would destroy the country when in power, and bring armed groups to attack the sitting government when in the opposition.
“Imran Khan is not a stakeholder, rather he is the destruction of Pakistan,” she said.
Referring to the PTI chairman’s statement regarding Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, she maintained that only a “mentally unsound” person or someone who was “launched to cause destruction” could say such things.
“I think all institutions, whether the judiciary, army, politicians or government, should acknowledge he [Imran Khan] is a fitna [chaotic miscreant], who was launched for destruction and from whom no one is safe,” she maintained, adding that Khan not be heeded and should not be considered a stakeholder in the political process.
“If Imran Khan no longer remains the “blue-eyed boy” of certain quarters, “sorting him out” is not a matter beyond three days,” she stated.
She alleged that the “forces” which funded him do not want Pakistan to progress, adding that the PTI chairman was “launched by hostile forces” to destroy politics, state institutions, and moral values.
“Imran Khan brought the economy on the verge of collapse and also violated the agreement he struck with the IMF [International Monetary Fund],” she alleged.
About the state of the economy, Maryam said that it is not possible to turn it around in months, adding that it would take years after the policies of the PTI government. She maintained that the current government has spent day and night and taken difficult decisions.
“Whether I support these decisions or not, but this is true that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has saved the country from default and slowly the economy will begin to revive,” she added.
The PML-N vice president stated that she had categorically stated that she was not in favour of an increase in fuel and electricity prices, adding that her first responsibility was people. “I even did not own such decisions, whether our party is in government or not. I will request the government to focus on it. I don’t support this decision and it should be corrected. However, it will take time to correct the economy after what Imran Khan did,” she added.
Referring to Imran Khan’s statement that he had become more “dangerous”, Maryam said that these words were not meant for his political opponents, but for the country.
She made it clear that if Khan wants general elections in the country, he should dissolve the provincial assemblies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab first.
“You have governments in two provinces. You cannot escape by holding the federal government responsible for everything,” she told the PTI chairman while commenting on his criticism of the government allegedly for not a swift response towards the relief efforts of the flood victims.
Responding to a question about any possible extension in the tenure of Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, she declined to comment, saying that she will comment on it when the time comes.
She also criticised Khan allegedly for “using religion for the sake of his personal politics and perverting religious beliefs and interpretations”.
Maryam said that she is against using or involving religion in politics, or for personal interests.
To another query about the issue of missing persons, the PML-N leader said that she was glad that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken up the case of missing journalist Mudassar Naaru and expressed the hope to see a breakthrough in the matter.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022