Firdous slams PML-N for appointing Maryam as deputy chief

Special assistant to PM says appointment of a convict defies ECP laws

LAHORE: The prime minister’s special assistant on information fired a broadside at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday for appointing Maryam Nawaz as the vice president of the party even though she had been convicted by a court.

“This [Maryam’s appointment] is a slap on the face of the election commission’s constitution and the laws,” Firdous Ashiq Awan told reporters outside the Greater Iqbal Park.

She maintained that the government did not face any threat from the opposition.

“The only threat is the opposition creating obstacles in the path to the country’s progress,” she added.



The special assistant said the opposition was accusing the government of going back on its promises when in fact former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s request for bail and treatment abroad was the biggest U-turn of all.

Awan said the prime minister inaugurating the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme in Renala Khurd near Punjab’s Okara district demonstrated how much he cared about the poor.

“The prime minister is ready to take any step for the poor,” she remarked. “The New Pakistan housing project will provide homes and jobs.”

She pointed out that despite the opposition complaining about the lack of investment, a car plant being set up with foreign investment had been inaugurated earlier in the day.

“The government is on a mission for peace and development. The opposition needs to change its mindset and assist the government in the lawmaking process,” she added.

In response to a question, Awan said the oil prices had increased in the international market and both the government and the public would have to bear the burden of this hike.