Says Imran’s ‘facilitator’ posted in Peshawar responsible for mosque attack; PML-N will steer country out of quagmire
PML-N Senior Vice-President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday held a “cabal of five” responsible for the country’s current predicament as she kickstarted a reorganisation tour to shape her party’s narrative.
Among the “cabal”, she said, were PTI Chairman Imran Khan, former chief justices of Pakistan Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa. She did not name the other two, simply referring to them as the two “crutches” of Imran.
Addressing a workers’ convention in Bahawalpur, Maryam said it was necessary to understand why the country had come to a point where it had to take difficult decisions.
She said people should be grateful that the country had returned from the precipice of a disaster after four years under the PTI, adding that, otherwise, the “cabal of five had made plans [to rule] for the next 12 years”.
“Imagine what would have happened to Pakistan in the next 12 years if the cabal of five had remained [in power].” She said the “cabal of players and amateurs” had wrecked the economy and launched “suicide attacks” on it.
Maryam said she would name and share pictures of the cabal and they would be made public “whether that is Khosa or the dam guy (Nisar) or Imran or his two crutches”.
She alleged that the quintet looted the country together day and night. “Someone was taking diamond rings, someone was taking plots, someone was making money through the land, someone was sending money to Dubai and someone made a house on several hundred kanals in Chakwal,” Maryam added.
The PML-N leader said that it was her party’s responsibility to save the country from the lot. On the issue of rising terrorism in the country and Monday’s Peshawar blast, Maryam said the PML-N had eliminated militancy in the country and questioned why it was cropping up again.
Maryam also lashed out at Imran and the PTI, saying they had been in government in KP for the last decade and questioned what capacity building they had done for the counter-terrorism department.
Maryam said that former prime minister Imran Khan’s “facilitator” posted in Peshawar was responsible for the deadly mosque attack in Peshawar.
“Several precious lives were lost yesterday in Peshawar. I will go there as well. Nawaz Sharif had rid the country of terrorism. The nation asks why did the terrorism incident in Peshawar took place. I will tell you what happened,” Maryam said while addressing a party convention in Bahawalpur.
“The one Imran used to call his eyes, hands and ears, was posted in KP. Why did he open doors for terrorists? Why did he say that terrorists were our brothers and invited them to Pakistan? Why did he release hardcore terrorists,” Maryam questioned.
She said that if he had become eyes, hands and ears of Pakistan instead of Imran’s, Pakistan would not have been in this situation. “The one he (Imran) used to call his eyes, ears and hands, used to say in Afghanistan that everything is fine while drinking qahwa.”
Maryam said that Imran Khan has a habit of hurling accusations as he earlier blamed the US for his ouster and was now blaming Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
“Just a few days ago, Imran Khan was in power in KP for the last 10 years. The nation today asks question that how much capacity have you increased [of police] during all this time. Police in KP are taking bullets on their chest… they have nothing to protect themselves because you kept KP only to cover your expenses for helicopter rides,” she added.
Maryam said that when Imran was the prime minister, eight meetings on counter-terrorism were held in the parliament but he did not even attend one.