ISLAMABAD:
Slamming the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government once again, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz said on Wednesday those who called former premier Nawaz Sharif an ally of Narendra Modi were guilty of handing over Kashmir to India on a silver platter.
While addressing a ceremony held to commemorate the party's founding day in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the PML-N vice president said that it was because of weak rulers that enemies like India attacked Pakistan.
“Modi came of his own volition when Sharif was ruling the country,” Maryam claimed, adding, "and when PM Imran came to power, Modi annexed Kashmir".
“I humbly say that I am the daughter of a brave man. I have learnt it [bravery] from Sharif and Raja Haider — prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Everyone will see when Sharif returns,” she said.
Maryam further observed that "we [the PML-N] stood with our Kashmiri brethren".
“Wounds inflicted on the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir are felt by us on our hearts,” she said.
Referring to the 2018 general elections, the PML-N leader stated that when people’s mandate was not respected, it was Pakistan's jugular vein that was attacked.
Maryam further claimed that PM Khan was so afraid of her that he got her arrested.
Claiming the party's narrative had earned countrywide praise, Maryam said that, “Our adversaries were now speaking Sharif's language even though he has been silenced,” the PML-N leader said.
“Those in power today are facing the same allegations they levelled against Sharif. Not a single allegation has been proved against the former prime minister,” the PML-N leader said.
Maryam reiterated that a puppet was sitting in the prime minister's chair and that the "selected Khan and his selectors are facing failure".
Before Maryam’s address, Senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal, in his speech, vowed that if his party came to power, it would "file a treason case against Imran Khan Niazi for bargaining away Kashmir".
He maintained that United Nations designated IIOJK as a disputed territory because after the independence, India had occupied the land of Kashmiris.
“Since then, no Indian government had the courage to change the disputed status of the territory,” said Iqbal, adding Narendra Modi’s government had unilaterally changed the status on Aug 5, 2019.
He added, before the Modi’s move, “Pakistan had seen democratic governments, dictatorships and caretaker governments but India had never gotten the courage to change the status."
Iqbal alleged the prime minister had "bargained away" Kashmir in a meeting with United States President Donald Trump.
He further said the armed forces of both countries kept track of the movement of troops in each others' territory and the PM had been informed of India's plans but he did not act on the advice of “intelligence agencies”.
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