Home Latest News Maryam Nawaz Asks if Imran Khan Will Accept Results of Elections He Loses

Maryam Nawaz Asks if Imran Khan Will Accept Results of Elections He Loses

PMLN leader claims PTI’s politics only revolve around appointments to country’s top posts

by Staff Report

File photo of Maryam Nawaz

Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Senior Vice-President Maryam Nawaz on Sunday maintained that her party is ready for elections, while questioning whether Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will accept the results of any polls that he loses.

Addressing office-bearers of the PMLN lawyers’ wing in Lahore, she questioned whether there was any guarantee that Khan would accepts the results of any polls that the PMLN won. “And if he wins in KP, where he is popular, who will guarantee that he won’t dissolve the assembly again?” she asked, adding that there could not be “selective application” of the Constitution.

Noting that she had already clarified that the PMLN did not fear elections, she said the party merely wanted the “scales of justice” to be balanced before polls were conducted. “We are not selected, we are elected. Those who are selected should be worried,” she said, rubbishing the PTI’s claims of the PMLN wanting to delay elections until October so they could be conducted after Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial has retired.

“PTI’s whole politics revolves around which appointment is happening when,” she alleged. “Yesterday, this slipped out of Sheikh Rashid’s mouth during the rally … That showed me that their entire politics revolves around appointments,” she said, referring to the PTI ally’s address at Minar-e-Pakistan on Saturday night. Maintaining that the PTI had previously enjoyed the support of parts of the military establishment, she claimed they had now found the judicial establishment.

Claiming the PTI’s long march last year was aimed at making the appointment of the new Army chief controversial, she said their entire politics revolved around “facilitators.” Accusing Khan of “brazenly and blatantly” flouting the country’s laws by refusing to attend court hearings, she regretted that when he had finally gone to court, he had taken “armed groups” that were unprecedented. By contrast, she said, her father Nawaz Sharif had faced several “false” cases against him and been disqualified because of them. Khan, on the other hands, was given bail despite flouting laws, she lamented.

Referring to a police operation at Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore, Maryam said it had been aimed at implementing court orders but his supporters had attacked them with stones and petrol bombs. “The entire state was attacked from there just because police went to implement the court’s orders. Why are Pakistan’s laws and the Constitution sleeping? Why is action not being taken? Who is protecting him [Imran] to this day?” she questioned.

Stressing that she was a democratic political worker, she said she also believed elections were the only answer. “Elections should happen after every five years but there should be political stability in the country,” she said, claiming the PMLN would not only participate in polls but also win them.

Referring to the PTI’s criticism of the ECP’s order delaying elections in Punjab—which the party has described as a violation of the Constitution—she said they had forgotten when the Supreme Court unanimously struck down former Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling on the no-confidence motion against Imran. “When a person violates the Constitution, which article is applicable on him? Article 6 is applicable … The SC said the Constitution was violated. Where is the punishment for violating the Constitution?” she questioned, lamenting that it was the government’s “weakness” to not pursue treason proceedings against Suri and Imran Khan. She went on to question how the public should perceive the Supreme Court allowing a person to go free despite declaring they had violated the Constitution.

During her talk, Maryam alleged Khan had dissolved the Punjab and KP assemblies to spread “unrest, chaos and anarchy,” and questioned if the country and its institutions could work on the whims of such a person. She also slammed the judiciary over its suo motu notice of the delay in announcing a date for elections in KP and Punjab, saying there was some “facilitating” involved. “I am not going to mince my words,” she said, describing the court order as “controversial”.

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