Opposition lawmakers may resign en masse, hints Maryam

LAHORE – In her address to the participants of the party’s social media convention here on Sunday, PML-N’s vice-president Maryam Nawaz Sharif hinted at big decisions to be made by the Pakistan Democratic Movement in its meeting on December 8 ahead of scheduled Lahore gathering on December 13.

“It is going to be a “do or die” like situation on December 8″, she observed. Maryam also dropped strong hints of resignations by PDM lawmakers to be announced in the December 13 show of street power of the opposition parties.

She appealed to the party Senators, MNAs and MPAs to stay firm and loyal to the party if the leadership goes for the option of resignations from the assemblies. She asked them not to succumb to any pressure in this regard. At the same time, she also threatened them of consequences if they did not toe the party line. “If any one betrays the party under pressure, he/she will be surrounded [by the people]”, she warned, and added: “Don’t compromise on your loyalty; make a garland of all the FIRs [registered against you] and put it around the neck”.

She appealed to the party workers to converge at Minar-e-Pakistan ground on December 13 in large numbers to dismantle the government. “Pakistan will move ahead only when the government falls; business will flourish only when the government falls”, she said.

Suggests “Tabedar Khan” (Obedient Khan) title for Imran Khan

In a veiled reference though, she hurled taunts at the Establishment while counting failures of the incumbent government. She spoke in a sarcastic tone about the Establishment’s inaction as she talked about the prime minister’s incompetency to handle the problems like price hike, economic meltdown, sugar and wheat scams, unemployment and weak policy on Kashmir. 

Maryam believed that the Establishment was keeping mum over PM Khan’s failures only because he was what she called a “Tabedar” person (a compliant). She also suggested the title of “Tabedar Khan” for Prime Minister Imran Khan citing his compliant nature.  She moaned that PM Khan’s failing on both domestic and international fronts were going unnoticed by the powers that be. 

She deplored that institutions like NAB, FIA and Judiciary were not taking notice of the wheat and sugar scams. Maryam also castigated the government for inordinate delay in purchase of LNG causing Rs 122 billion loss to the national exchequer. “The prime minister did so to benefit his friends who were into the business of furnace oil”, she alleged.  

She said that PM Khan talked about giving honour to the green passport but PIA flights have been banned in all the European countries. The PML-N vice-president also talked about curbs on the media imposed by the incumbent government and the court judgment against his father Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. She said the late judge Arshad Malik was pressured to deliver a verdict against a three-time prime minister. She said his uncle Shehbaz Sharif was facing persecution for being loyal to his elder brother.