Politics

Maryam asks judiciary to assess ‘own responsibility’ amid election date controversy

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Maryam questions retired judges about country’s current position.
Blames “cabal of five” for country’s situation.
Deems former spymaster as leader of “five people”.

As the announcement of the date of the elections triggered a big debate in the country, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice-President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz has asked the judiciary to assess its “basic responsibility” before evaluating the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on conducting the general polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“You sat down to evaluate the election commission’s responsibility. Definitely examine it, but have you ever assessed your own basic responsibility?” the politician asked, as she addressed a workers’ convention in Sargodha, Punjab on Thursday.

Maryam’s demand came a day after Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial took a suo motu notice of an apparent delay in polls and formed a larger bench — headed by himself — to hear the case, the hearing of which began today.

The bench was formed two days after President Dr Arif Alvi fixed April 9 as the date for elections to the provincial assemblies of Punjab and KP — the move condemned by the government as “unconstitutional and illegal”.

"مسلم لیگ ن کے سارے لیڈروں کو لاڈلے کہ خاطر چن چن کر نااہل کیا گیا'#MaryamNawazInSargodha pic.twitter.com/b0QVTSd8Ao
— PMLN (@pmln_org) February 23, 2023

Without taking any names, she asked: “Does the dam waley baba [former chief justice Saqib Nisar] know where Pakistan stands today? Do Baba Rehmat and [ex-CJP Asif Saeed] Khosa sahib know where the country stands today?”

In 2017 in the Panama Papers case, ex-CJP Khosa headed the five-member Supreme Court bench that disqualified the then-prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Turning the aim of her critique back to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran and how he was facilitated by people in the then-establishment and judiciary — both before and during his government’s tenure — the PML-N leader spoke as their photographs ran on a screen behind her.

“The five people visible on the screen are responsible for Pakistan’s current situation. This cabal of five is responsible,” she said, which included two incumbent SC judges.

اس کو کیونکہ چیف بننا تھا اسکو مہرے کی ضرورت تھی اور نوازشریف تو وہ مہرہ نہیں بن سکتا تھا نوازشریف عوام کا نمائندہ تھا عوام کی قوت سے آتا تھا نوازشریف اسکا چہرہ نہیں بن سکتا تھا اس لیے اس نے گھڑی چور کو اٹھایا.چیف آرگنائزر مسلم لیگ ن مریم نوازشریف pic.twitter.com/sHTvY1fQYM
— PMLN (@pmln_org) February 23, 2023

Maryam added that the former Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hamid was their “leader”, as he wanted to become the army chief.

“Faiz Hamid wanted to become the chief. He needed a political face,” she claimed. The politician reiterated that the traces of Hamid still exist.

“Faiz Hamid does not love Imran Khan. There is fear of the crimes they have committed in the last five years. He made billions of rupees and transferred them to the Gulf countries,” she said, adding that while Nawaz was the people’s representative, the former spy chief chose the “watch-stealer” Khan.

Latest News

The nomination of Ishaq Dar as deputy prime minister raises concerns.

Published

4 hours ago

Farwa

A lot of doubts have been raised by Ishaq Dar, the foreign minister, being appointed deputy prime minister.

No reference to the Constitution, regulations, or any other law was mentioned in the Cabinet Division’s notification of the appointment.

What powers Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif used to designate Ishaq Dar as deputy prime minister has come under scrutiny in light of this.

There are questions about the legal foundation for the deputy prime minister’s nomination as it appears from the notification’s phrasing that rules for the position have not yet been established, according to insiders.

Likewise, the announcement is vague about the deputy prime minister’s proposed authority.

Deputy prime minister would be purely symbolic, according to government sources, and would not be authorized to carry out prime ministerial duties. In Pakistan, the deputy prime minister has previously been nominated.

The PPP administration appointed Chaudhry Parvez Elahi as deputy prime minister.

Observe that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was appointed deputy prime minister on Sunday with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s consent; the Cabinet Division formally announced the appointment.

Dar holds the position of Pakistan’s fourth deputy prime minister. Previous appointments to the position of deputy prime ministers included Parvez Elahi, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and Begum Nusrat Bhutto.

Latest News

The PML-N Punjab chapter convenes today to discuss organizational issues.

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

Former prime minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, has called a meeting of the PML-N Punjab chapter for today (Friday).

The conference was called by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, who reportedly gave the president of the party’s Punjab chapter, Rana Sanaullah, a call to call a meeting of the party’s provincial officials.

Nawaz Sharif is now visiting China.

According to sources, Nawaz Sharif’s leadership role and organizational issues inside the PML-N Punjab would be discussed at the meeting. The meeting’s agenda may also include discussions about the possible growth of the federal and Punjabi cabinets.

According to other sources, Nawaz Sharif gave Rana Sanaullah instructions to gather information on political and organizational positions in Punjab as well as to revitalize the party at the local level.

Latest News

Saad Rafiq: Ali Amin Gandapur’s threat to storm Islamabad is a major issue.

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has threatened to storm Islamabad, according to Khawaja Saad Rafique, a former minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). This is a very serious situation.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration has reportedly launched attacks on the federal capital in the past in an attempt to seize Islamabad, according to Saad Rafiq on the social media platform X (previously Twitter).

“However, PTI got nothing and it resulted in creating chaos, hatred and economic destruction,” he continued.

He added, “If the anarchists attack Islamabad to occupy it this time too, it will become impossible for them to return as rulers.”

According to the leader of the PML-N, fascist behavior will no longer be accepted, and the dirty politics of violence, fire, and ransacking will no longer be effective.

The PTI, he said, has to act rationally and refrain from inciting another May 9.