BAHAWALPUR: Maryam Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday she wanted to sit down with former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for a discussion on the party’s affairs, saying that she would need guidance from him and other senior party members to do her work.

Describing him as a loyal person and a man of principles, she said he was an old companion of her father’s and like her elder brother who had cleared all doubts himself by appearing on TV.

Her remarks come a day after former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi announced his decision to step down from the position of senior vice president (SVP) in the PML-N hierarchy, in what he called a bid to give Ms Sharif “more space to work”.

Incidentally, the office of SVP was recently given to Ms Sharif by supreme PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif. She was also made the party’s chief organiser and tasked with leading the campaign ahead of the upcoming general elections.

Talking about the arrests of Sheikh Rashid and journalist Imran Riaz, Ms Sharif said that some people were the mouthpieces of a political party in the guise of journalism, while certain TV channels were engaged in propaganda.

Says Nawaz Sharif expected to return within weeks; warns of default if IMF agreement not implemented

She claimed to be standing by genuine and working journalists, saying they would be given complete protection as she favoured freedom of expression.

She revealed that her father was expected to return to the country within weeks and preparations were being made in this regard.

Saying that the PML-N was ready to contest election whenever it was held, she reiterated that her party would sweep polls, overcoming any mischief.

She also continued her tirade against the PTI and its chief, Imran Khan, blaming their policies for the current spike in inflation and the resurgence of terrorism in the country.

She said the previous regime’s violation of the agreement with the Inter­na­tional Monetary Fund (IMF) had created numerous difficulties for the Pakistan Demo­cratic Movement (PDM) government as the Fund was now dema­nding the complete implementation of the previous agreement, and warned of default if the agreement remained in limbo.

Ms Sharif also blamed Imran Khan’s government for the Peshawar mosque attack, saying that the country could have been turned into a citadel of peace and love, but Mr Khan’s policies created law and order issues.

Saying that she did not believe in the politics of revenge and victimisation, the PML-N leader criticised Mr Khan and his party’s leaders for raising allegations of political victimisation by the PDM government.

However, she made it clear that those who had committed crimes during their rule should not go scot-free, adding that those who had committed crimes in recent years had begun crying foul despite the fact that no action had been taken against them yet. She said the PTI ruled KP for 10 years, but even now the office of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), she claimed, operated out of a rented building.

When Maryam Nawaz was about to conclude her press conference, a woman, identified as Rehana, started raising a hue and cry, which got Ms Sharif’s attention and she called her on the stage.

The woman said she was a PML-N worker for the past 25 years but the party leaders mistreated her. Maryam Nawaz consoled the woman though a local PML-N leader claimed that she was a PTI worker.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2023