–PML-N leader says ‘talk of an NRO did not suit coming from a person who is dependent on others for everything’
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s claim that her father, ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, had asked for an NRO [National Reconciliation Ordinance], claiming that the premier would be asking for an NRO-like deal for himself in a few days.
Addressing a public gathering in Zafarwal area of Narowal district, where she also visited a teenaged boy suffering from cancer, Maryam said if Nawaz Sharif had asked for an NRO, “a 100 NROs would have fallen into his lap”.
“You keep talking about NRO [but] you have no authority to give an NRO,” she said, addressing Prime Minister Imran. “You will be going around asking for an NRO in a few days yourself.”
She said the talk of an NRO did not suit coming from a person “who is dependent on someone else for everything”.
Maryam said the country was rapidly progressing and witnessing development in all areas until the PTI government took over from the PML-N government.
Criticising the budget unveiled by the PTI government on Tuesday, Maryam while referring to Prime Minister Imran said “a person who never earned through his hard work” could never know how a common man survives while making Rs15,000 a month.
“A man who has relied on others throughout his life cannot understand the problems of a common man. A man who never worked hard in life cannot understand how roti (bread) is cooked in the home of a hard-working labourer. Imran Khan lives in a 300-kanal house yet he pays only Rs100, 000 in tax,” she added.
She also mocked the premier’s statement during his address that the cases against PML-N and PPP leaders were not instituted by his government, but by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). She asked whether it was only NAB’s fault, and not Imran’s, if the accountability watchdog filed corruption cases against PML-N leaders but did not investigate allegations against the prime minister or his sister, Aleema Khan.
Maryam said NAB was instituting another case against Nawaz for using bulletproof vehicles for his travel as the prime minister, but the bureau did not notice “Imran Khan using the KP government helicopter like a rickshaw while he did not hold any government office”.
She said the prime minister, when he had not been “brought into power”, used to say that there was one law in Pakistan for the rich and another for the poor. “[In reality], there is one law for the rich and the poor throughout Pakistan and another for the ladla (the beloved),” she alleged.
Apparently referring to the reference filed against Supreme Court’s Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Maryam alleged that the premier had sent a reference against a “transparent” judge to the Supreme Judicial Council “because he is habitual of attacking from behind while hiding”.
“If you have the courage come forward [and] say, ‘I have sent [the reference]’, say ‘I have set up the cases against Nawaz Sharif’,” she said while addressing the premier.
Maryam said the prime minister in his address had announced the formation of a commission to investigate the loans taken by the previous governments in the last decade but questioned why he did not want to go further into the past. “Do you not go back further than 10 years because it was the government of your master [retired Gen Pervez] Musharraf then?” she asked the premier.
She said the loans taken by the PML-N government were spent on development projects and they were paid back with the profits earned.
“The crying and whining will no longer work. [You] will have to answer to the nation now,” Maryam said, addressing Prime Minister Imran.