Maryam says long march against establishment, not PML-N

LAHORE:

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday berated PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, saying his long march was “against the establishment” and not the government.

"When he says that he has recognised the real faces of Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq, then do you think he is referring to Maryam Nawaz, Nawaz Sharif, or Shehbaz Sharif? Our faces are etched on his heart.

He does not sleep because our faces keep [revolving in his mind]. The threat he is issuing is not to us, but the establishment," the PML-N vice president said while addressing a news conference.

The media talk comes after the federal government decided not to allow the PTI to take out its long march with late-night raids and arrests of the party's leaders.

Also read: Imran urges 'neutrals' to do the 'right thing'

Maryam said the PTI chairman also launched "a malicious campaign targetting the judiciary, in which abusive words were used against the judges" as they issued a historic verdict of restoring the National Assembly — after President Arif Alvi had dissolved it.

"But after the Supreme Court took a suo motu notice against Shehbaz Sharif, you started praising them. I want to request the courts to not lay the tradition of giving verdicts in favour of the person who abuses the courts," she said.

The PML-N vice president asked the courts to issue decisions in favour of the people and the nation, advising the judiciary to "refrain from monitoring social media and the traditional media as well".

On the long march, Maryam said the government was worried about the PTI's "nefarious designs", and it has intelligence reports about the party amassing weapons to use against law enforcement agencies (LEAs).

"They have amassed weapons, tear gas shells, and planned other things against the LEAs. The interior ministry has intel regarding this," Maryam said.

She said it became evident that the party had amassed weapons after police Constable Kamal Ahmed was shot dead in Lahore during a crackdown against the PTI leaders the other night.

Also read: Islamabad braces for PTI's long march as crackdown intensifies

"I think the person responsible for the murder of the constable is Imran Khan. But the person who took the life of the constable and their mastermind — Imran Khan — will not be spared," she added.

The PML-N vice president also asked the PTI chairman to call his children to Pakistan for leading the "Azadi March", instead of instigating Pakistan's youth to lay down their lives for him.

"A son of the soil was martyred today. What is the difference between Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shahbaz, and the sons of Imran Khan Qasim and Suleman? The only difference between them is that they are Imran Khan's sons," the PML-N leader said.

"Since they are Imran Khan's sons, they will live abroad, and no one will touch them. They will remain in a safe and sound environment, while the sons of the soil — who spent their entire lives serving the country — will take bullets to their chests just because a person's desire for power does not end?"

Maryam said revolution begins at home, asking Imran to tell his children to stand on the front line instead of directing his supporters to keep backing him and "suffer the beatings of the LEAs".