PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said on Monday that the member parties of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) were all committed and that she trusted the leadership of PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Speaking to the media outside the Lahore High Court (LHC), Maryam said that the PDM alliance was still going strong. "The parties in the PDM are very committed to the cause."

The PDM's cause, according to Maryam, was a big one and included the right of rule of Pakistan's nation, bringing real change in Pakistan, bringing relief to the people of Pakistan and correcting Pakistan's course.

"My clear stance has come out, I won't repeat it but the decision to send the [show-cause] notice was of the PDM and not any one party," said Maryam, when questioned about reports of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari tearing up the PDM's show-cause notice in a meeting of the PPP’s Central Executive Committee a day earlier.

She said that she had left the reaction and the decision to be taken in the wake of this development to Rehman's leadership. "We have full trust in his leadership [...] and he himself will take up the matter."

Maryam also addressed the issue of estranged PTI leader Jahangir Tareen — who is being investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency for fraud and money laundering — and said that while she wouldn't comment on any internal matters, Tareen had not been targeted as part of the sugar mafia when his resources and assets were being used.

"Now, suddenly you remember that he is [part of the] sugar mafia and make cases against him so I just want to say to all supporters of theirs: learn from this and take heed."

Maryam claimed that the PTI's MNAs were breaking away, talking against the government on the media and finding new avenues for themselves while the PML-N stood at greater strength than before with the people's power.

"The day their government does not remain, write it down, they will not be able to set out and do campaigning, winning is a very far gone matter."

Maryam claimed that during her visits to the Daska and Wazirabad, where by-elections were held, recently she had seen the "people's sentiment, anger and hate against this government. I'd seen it that very day and knew that the PML-N would win [the by-elections]".

"In my opinion, whenever elections are held, this government will be dealt such a defeat that the world will see and people will see this as a warning that never again do you commit vote theft, allow vote theft or reach the seat of power through polishing boots, betrayal and rigging.

"So I see that whenever elections are held, this fake vote stealing government will go on to become an ibrat ka nishaan (example to take heed) and maybe through this, there is a great favour to Pakistan that the path for political engineering of this kind is forever closed," said Maryam.

She also said that she would be going to Karachi and called upon the people of the constituency to vote for PML-N candidate Miftah Ismail in the NA-249 by-election for Karachi's progress and development.

Arrest warrants not issued for Maryam in Jati Umra case

Earlier, Maryam appeared before a two-member bench of the LHC for a hearing on her bail petition in the inquiry into the alleged illegal acquisition of land at Jati Umra. Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Asjad Javed Ghural presided over the hearing.

Special prosecutor of the National Accountability (NAB) Faisal Bukhari was also present and said that the NAB had submitted its reply on Maryam's petition.

"Have warrants been issued for the arrest of Maryam Nawaz?" questioned the court to which the NAB lawyer replied that no arrest warrants had been issued for Maryam.

The court disposed of Maryam's bail petition and directed the NAB to inform 10 days in advance when it intended to arrest someone.

"If you want to arrest then inform us before hand so we can approach the courts," said Maryam's legal counsel.

Maryam had previously been granted interim pre-arrest bail in the case last month by the LHC.