Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday said the opposition were about “to enter a decisive struggle”.
The PML-N VP, flanked by party leaders Khawaja Asif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, spoke about the upcoming Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally in Gujranwala, at a conference of PML-N’s parliamentarians and ticket holders in Lahore.
Maryam insisted that the PDM “would not fail the people” and would usurp the incumbent government.
Maryam echoed her father’s phrase, “vote ko izzat do [honour the vote]”, and said that the so-called rigging of the 2018 elections had violated “the sanctity of the vote”.
She held the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government liable for the inflation surges, human rights violations, and the worsening of the law and order situation.
“When Nawaz came into power, loadshedding would take place for 20 hours in the country. We [almost] finished it in our tenure,” she added. She further said that Nawaz Sharif had empowered Pakistan’s defence systems and created motorways “on which fighter jets could land and take off”.
In reply to a question about the method through which the Islamabad High Court (IHC) is trying to summon Nawaz through newspapers, she said, “You can put up Nawaz’s photo in advertisements, but when you place an ad for absconders then people will see a reflection of former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf”.
“Nawaz has not abandoned his workers. He was the first to take all the hits, and now it is our time,” she said, implying that other political leaders throw their workers forward while hiding themselves.
Maryam also commented on Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PERMA) actions in banning the former premier’s speech. She said that Nawaz’s message had been received in “every street and corner” of Pakistan.
During the same conference, Abbasi said, “From today, we need to commit that we will not hold back […] even if we have to go to jails.”
Asif called this movement the “war for democracy”.
The former foreign minister said that when the protest reaches its peak, every lawmaker of their party will resign from the National Assembly (NA).
The 11-party anti-government movement is scheduled to hold its first rally on October 16, 2020, followed by Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Multan, and Lahore on October 18, 25, November 22, 30, and December 13 respectively.
