ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, talking to a private TV channel, on Thursday said that calling a prime minister, who was elected by millions of people, as “Godfather” and referring to an elected government as “Sicilian mafia” was an insult to both of them.
She said that the affected parties had the right to criticise the court’s decisions. Responding to a question, she said that an elected PM had been sent home on the basis of ‘Iqama’, but that verdict had not been accepted by the people of Pakistan, and even the civil society had also disapproved it.
She said that Imran Khan attacked the parliament, ridiculed the judiciary and abused the state institutions but nobody had taken any notice of it. She said that for the last few days the self-styled spokesmen had been propagating that the leadership of PML (N) would be convicted and sent to jail. The minister said that Musharraf also denigrated the judiciary, asking who would decide about that.
She said that Maryam Nawaz, whose media trial was being conducted for the last one year, was also a daughter of somebody.
The minister said that Nawaz Sharif had announced the name of Shehbaz Sharif as a prospective candidate for premiership on merit, as he was also loved by the masses. Marriyum said that Punjab chief minister was a laudable example for other provinces, and their people also wanted a CM like him.
Referring to the conviction of Nehal Hashmi, the minister said that the party had already taken action against him by de-seating him, adding that he had tendered an apology—but even then he had been punished.
Replying to yet another question, the minister claimed that the masses had spurned the politics of sit-ins as was evident from their non-participation in the Lahore rally.