You're part of mafia that pressurises judges, Maryam hits back at PM

PML-N vice-president claims the govt uses strong-arm tactics to silence its opponents

LAHORE: After Prime Minister Imran Khan drew parallels with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the 'Sicilian mafia', party's vice-president Maryam Nawaz lashed out at him, saying the former pressurises judges into targeting and punishing his political opponents.

Earlier in the day, the premier said the "Pakistani mafia" uses various tactics to build pressure on state institutions in order to protect illegal money.

In a tweet, the premier stated that the "mafia" was relying on the “tactics of bribe, threat, blackmail and begging to pressurise [the] state institutions and judiciary.”

In a similar vein to the "Sicilian mafia", the Pakistani mafia uses tactics of bribe, threat, blackmail and begging to pressurise state institutions and judiciary in order to protect their billions of money laundering stashed abroad.https://t.co/DcXWNZntq3

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 13, 2019

The premier’s statement on the micro-blogging website comes mere days after the PML-N released a controversial video involving an accountability court judge who was responsible for the Al-Azizia verdict, which sent ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif to jail.

PM Imran blames ‘Pakistani mafia’ for pressurising state institutions, judiciary

Maryam then replied to the tweet saying that the prime minister himself was a part of the same mafia that used institutions to settle scores with his opponents and defaced and maligned them in the process.

You’re a part of the mafia that pressurises judges into targeting & punishing your political opponents. It is you who used the institutions to settle scores with your opponents & defaced & maligned them in the process. Shame on you. https://t.co/tRgTAdv2DM

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 13, 2019

Meanwhile, PML-N's spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb also hit out at the government, claiming that PM Imran had threatened judges to get verdicts in his favour.

Talking to the media in Islamabad, Aurangzeb said that, "You are the real Sicilian mafia in the country... look how you have made the lives of Pakistanis miserable."

She said the public is fed up with the government's poor performance, adding that, "The selected prime minister first stole the people's mandate and is now destroying the economy."