Maryam backs trial in military courts

PML-N leader claims civilian judiciary has become PTI’s ‘tool'

LAHORE:

PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Saturday endorsed trying the May 9 violence suspects in military courts, claiming that the civil judiciary was already working as a “tool” for the PTI.

Speaking at a ceremony in Lahore, Maryam said she was not in favour of transferring civilian cases to military courts, but that was not suitable under the prevailing situation.

“Look at the state of civilian courts. They  have become controversial and become a tool of a political party. What will happen to justice now?” she added.

The PML-N leader, who is the daughter of the party’s supremo, former premier Nawaz Sharif, went on to say that on May 9, the PTI had resorted to actions, which were never taken by a political party before.

On May 9, PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan’s arrest from the premises of the Islamabad High Court by dozens of Rangers personnel had triggered countrywide protests in which enraged party activists had allegedly attacked military installations across the country and damaged public and private properties including the Jinnah House, being used as the Lahore corps commander’s residence, in the provincial capital of Punjab.

Maryam said her father Nawaz, in the first public gathering staged by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), had asked the then army chief and head of the country’s premier intelligence agency to take back Imran from where they had brought him.

She added that her father had spoken against the two army officers but not maligned the entire institution of the military or attacked any of its installations.

The PML-N leader continued that the May 9 violence could have been prevented if Imran was convicted in the old cases against him.

Maryam maintained that nobody was given bail while they were in remand across the world.

However, she added that the Supreme Court had granted bail to the PTI chief while he was in remand.

She said there was criticism of military courts but what was the civilian judiciary up to.

“They [civilian courts] repeatedly issue stay orders [in cases related to the PTI] so that the legal proceedings cannot proceed. Who can be trusted in this situation?” Maryam inquired.

She continued that the law of  the “mother-in-law” and “favourite” was running in the country.

The PML-N leader said the judges were complaining that their orders were not being followed without taking into account what decisions they were making.

She recalled that the PML-N had launched a movement for the independence of the judges.

Maryam revealed that former chief justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa had pressured her father for an extension in his tenure as the top judge.

“Why did [ex-CJP] Khosa send a message to my father for an extension while he [Nawaz] was in jail. My father rejected his request by saying that take your paper  away from here and scram,” she added.

The PML-N leader maintained that the incumbent CJP, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, had not learnt any lesson from the mistakes of the past.

She continued that ex-CJP Khosa would face the law one day.

“If I talk about Dam Walay Baba [former CJP] Saqib Nisar, he won’t be able to show his face to anyone,” she added.

Maryam maintained that former CJP Nisar’s son was caught blackmailing candidates for PTI tickets.

“These people have become a sign of lesson from nature and [CJP] Umar Ata Bandial is also walking on the same path,” she claimed.

The PML-N leader said that at present, the country was facing oppression at the hands of the PTI.

She noted that the memorials and pictures of martyrs were set on fire on May 9 even though they had sacrificed their lives for the nation.

Maryam added the martyrs did not belong only to the army, but to the entire country.

She recalled that when soldiers had embraced martyrdom in a helicopter crash, the PTI was cursing them.

The PML-N leader asked did the PTI activists did not even feel an ounce of shame when they were setting fire to the house of the country’s founder.

She added that Imran was now demanding evidence for his party’s involvement in that crime.

“Has he not seen the picture of [Imran’s nephew] Hassan Niazi carrying a stick with the army’s picture on it. He should listen to the audio recording of [PTI leader] Yasmin Rashid and watch her video in which she could be heard telling party activists that people should be taken to the Lahore corps commander’s residence, and not animals,” Maryam said.

The PML-N leader said the PTI had accused the government of rounding up its women activists.

She added that the truth was that the PTI had deliberately kept its women activists on the front.

“Weren’t the PTI women activists leading the attacks on military installations?” she questioned.

“A crime is a crime. It doesn’t matter if a man or a woman has committed it,” she added.