LAHORE: According to PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz, the former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), Asif Saeed Khosa, had asked PML-N supremo and her father, Nawaz Sharif, for an extension.
In an interview, Maryam made the assertion. Maryam, who has previously denounced Khosa for taking part in a “conspiracy” against Nawaz, said in the interview: “Place your hand on the Quran and tell [the world] was your extension as the chief justice not being talked about?” Umar Ata Bandial would not be the [current] chief justice if Nawaz Sharif sahab had consented, and he (Khosa) would have received a delay.
She claimed that discussions about raising the retirement age for Supreme Court justices were being held for Justice (ret.) Khosa’s benefit. Nawaz was incarcerated at the time, and Maryam claimed that a delegation had delivered the then chief justice’s message to him; however, she added that the PML-N leader had refused to grant an extension. It is important to note that in 2017, Nawaz was disqualified in the Panama Papers case under the leadership of the SC bench that the former CJP Khosa chaired. Maryam mentioned retired Lt-Gen Faiz Hamid, a former director general (DG) of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), during the interview and claimed that he had “confessed” to his crime.
Meanwhile, seperately, Maryam Nawaz, senior vice president and chief organizer for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), said on Thursday that the Muslim League was the only political party with a bold agenda for this significant segment of the population and referred to them as the country’s real driving force. She claimed that in contrast to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’sempty slogans for the youth, the PML-N was the party with a greater representation of young people in the legislature, which represented the reality as opposed to empty rhetoric. In her remarks to the party’s young leadership, she stated that the PML-N wanted to involve the youth in national decision-making rather than using them to further individual agendas.
She said the majority of the country’s population consisted of the youth, whether it was rural or urban population. She said there was dire need to give them a right direction so that they could contribute to nation-building.
Maryam Nawaz, terming the youth real strength of her party, said that their participation in organisational matters would be ensured. The PML-N had become a youth representative party in a true sense, as the party had credit of initiating various schemes aimed at providing better employment and business opportunities to them.
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif worked for making the youth self reliance whenever the PML-N got an opportunity to serve the country, and started various initiatives through financial assistance, scholarships, soft loans, etc.
The PML-N chief organiser said that Shehbaz Sharif had introduced education-friendly Punjab Education Endowment Fund project, whereas interest-free loan scheme was also launched by the PML-N government. She said the youth was attracted toward the latest technology by providing them with laptops, while local and international scholarships were also provided to brilliant and deserving students.
She said there were ample opportunities to excel in the field of Information Technology, and the youth of the country had a right place to display their skills and get their share in the local as well international market.
Maryam regretted that the PTI was using the youth to achieve its political goals, but no one was there to lead them as they were called onto the roads every time for agitation while the party chief was hiding in his Zaman Park residence.
The PML-N senior leader said she was sad to hear about an untoward incident, which happened on Wednesday during a so-called PTI rally, wherein a political worker passed away. She said transparent investigation into the incident should be held to ascertain that who was responsible for his death.
She regretted that negative thinking was deliberately promoted among the youth during the previous four-year rule of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Maryam Nawaz said there was even no comparison between the PML-N and the PTI when it comes to delivering the masses, as the former, when left the government in 2018, the country was prosperous and it had growth based economy with around 6 per cent of the GDP. On the other hand, the four-year rule of the PTI brought down the GDP to less than 2 per cent, which exhibited the real picture of its performance.
Maryam said that the PML-N also signed an IMF deal, but it was not only successfully completed but there was no impact on prices of commodities. However, the one signed during the previous PTI regime was not completed, which caused financial crisis for the country.
She underlined the need for a sincere leadership which could take the country forward, as people were currently paying the price for immature and non-serious political decisions, made by the PTI government. It was very unfortunate that the PTI was creating chaos in the name of politics, she regretted.
Maryam Nawaz said that the previous PTI government was rife with corrupt practices, and the poor policies, which took the country to the verge of economic default. The PTI did not have any plan for the youth and the country, except for hollow slogans.
She said that the rule of law and a justice-based system was vital for taking the country forward. She said various corruption and illegal practices cases were registered against the PTI chief, but he was not appearing before the courts. He was, in fact, escaping from the courts in cases including Toshakhana, Tyrian White and foreign funding as he had nothing to prove his innocence.
Maryam said that Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and she herself had faced the courts in cases registered against them, but they never made excuses and presented themselves for accountability.
She said that the PTI protestors had not been peaceful during their rallies, as they would attack the police personnel. She said it was very unfortunate that a political party was training the youth in such a bad way.
Maryam Nawaz said that the use of right to vote was a huge responsibility, and the youth could bring about a real change. She called upon them them to use their right to vote with utmost care in the upcoming elections to bring a positive change in the country.
