PPP grills PML-N over Maryam Nawaz’s political launch

It was Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) turn to grill the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) over the launch of Maryam Nawaz in politics at the provincial government’s expense. Alleging the use of educational institutions for political purposes by Maryam, PPP lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday not only pointed out political weaknesses of the ruling party in Punjab, but also offered to arrange public gatherings for Maryam, hinting that the PML-n could not do so itself. The House, which was proceeding smoothly, turned into a fish market when PPP legislator Uzma Bukhari objected to the use of educational institutions and colleges as a political platform for the political launch of Maryam Nawaz. But neither the education minister nor the speaker gave any ruling on the objection.
Uzma said she welcomed Maryam in the political battlefield, but the speaker should give a ruling on the issue whether public educational institutions and their premises could be used as a political platform for an unelected personality. She said public meetings were being arranged at women colleges by pressurising the heads of these educational institutions. These remarks infuriated the PML-N and Zaeem Qadri rejected the allegations. He said Maryam did not go to these institutions herself and no public money was used for the functions. Qadri said Maryam visited the colleges on invitation by student bodies.
Raja Riaz said if the PML-N could not arrange public meetings for Maryam, the PPP was willing to arrange public gatherings for her where she could deliver her speeches. Upon this, Qadri said it was not the PML-N that had turned the Presidency and the Governor’s House into hubs of political activities. “Constitutionally student unions have right to invite any personality, including Maryam Nawaz, at their functions,” he added. During the question hour earlier, PPP’s Syed Hassan Murtaza not only protested but staged a token walkout from the House against the remarks of a provincial minister and not including opposition lawmakers in the sugar-cess committees. However, on the instructions of the speaker, provincial minister Ahsanul Haque Qureshi brought him back in the House.
During the question hour, most of the lawmakers from both sides contradicted the statistics presented by Parliamentary Secretary on Food Saeed Mughal regarding the payment of 99.99 percent of last year’s outstanding dues to sugarcane growers and other relevant figures.