SAHIWAL: In a fiery speech on Monday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President and party’s Chief Organizer Maryam Nawaz Shairf demanded redressal of “injustice” against the party’s supremo, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, ahead of the next elections.

Addressing a workers’ convention in Sahiwal, Maryam Nawaz said: “Elections will be held after the conviction of innocent Nawaz Sharif is overturned.”

Speaking to the PML-N workers, Maryam Nawaz said: “Justice first, then elections will be held.” She maintained that polls would be conducted in the country when the vote is given respect.

The PML-N leader said that her party was not afraid of elections, adding that they were preparing for the upcoming polls. “The elections will be held after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will be measured on the same standards of justice set for Nawaz Sharif,” she added.

The PML-N leader asserted that the polls would be held when the “watch thief” is brought to justice. Maryam accused Bushra Bibi, former first lady, of receiving a five-carat diamond for approval of each file during the past PTI-led government.

The PML-N leader claimed that traces that former spy chief Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hameed left behind were still saving Khan. Hamid is hatching conspiracies even today in Chakwal, she added.

Dubbing former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar “Dam Wala Baba”, Maryam said that he was still assigning the task to his “group” installed in the judiciary.

Berating the PTI Chairman, Maryam Nawaz said that Imran Khan, despite being an “absconder” at that time, used to attend the hearing of the Panama papers case on daily basis in the court of Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa.

Taking a jibe at Imran Khan, the PML-N leader said that whenever the court summons him, the PTI chief shows his plaster. She also raised questions over the “slow pace” of proceedings of the cases filed against the deposed prime minister.

Maryam Nawaz told Imran Khan that the establishment, who reportedly brought him into power, has gone home now. “You have done bench fixing with the connivance of your facilitators,” she said.

Commenting on the PTI chief’s court cases, Maryam Nawaz asked him to stop being a cowardly leader and face the music. “A leader is not one who hides in his house with a plaster cast on his leg.”

She recalled that when the hearing of the Panama Papers case was going on, Imran Khan was “wanted”, but would still come to follow Justice Asif Saeed Khosa’s court proceedings every day.

Speaking about Imran Khan’s reaction to audio leaks, the PML-N scion said the PTI chief would go on about “agencies recording” when he was in power. “Today, he asks who did the recording and who taped. You should speak up about what is in the audio tapes,” she questioned Khan in her address.

Maryam Nawaz insisted that the man who hid his child from Pakistan’s courts should be questioned.

Maryam also brought up the leaked audio clip of former judge Arshad Malik, who sentenced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the assets beyond means case. In the audio clip, Judge Malik allegedly confessed that he convicted Nawaz Sharif under duress. Maryam referred to this as evidence of the previous PTI government’s manipulation of the judiciary to target the PML-N.

During the speech, Maryam apparently responded to the criticism that the ruling PDM is trying to delay the elections amid fears of defeat due to prevailing economic crisis and rocketing inflation. “This is an election year and election will be held but only after when scale of justice will be balanced,” she said.

The PML-N stalwart asserted that ousted PM Nawaz, who was disqualified for life in Panama Papers case by the Supreme Court, will be absolved of “false charges” before the elections.

“We are not afraid of elections. In fact we are on ground running campaign for elections and PML-N will win polls with huge majority,” she added.

“Elections will be held but first justice will be done. All injustices done to Nawaz Sharif will be compensated before elections.”

Maryam also accused the judiciary of having dual standards, saying, “Panama case proceedings held on daily basis while proceedings of Imran’s cases are moving at snail’s pace”.

Referring to Toshakhana (gift depository) case against Imran, Maryam demanded the judiciary to bring him to the book.

“’Watch thief’ must be held accountable. He is Pakistan’s biggest thief who did not even spare watches,” she added.

Maryam said those who brought Imran into power knew that he was “incompetent and characterless”.

“You destroyed Pakistan in hatred of Nawaz Sharif. You could have taken revenge from Nawaz Sharif but you made the lives of masses miserable and destroyed their livelihood.”

The ruling party leader said PML-N averted the Sri Lanka-like economic crisis in the country by removing Imran from power and accepting the tough condition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“The country would have defaulted if we had violated the IMF agreement like Imran khan.”

The PML-N senior vice president said her party saved the country from becoming another Sri Lanka by putting national interests above its politics. She went on to say that the price of roti during Nawaz Sharif’s reign was Rs2, while sugar, flour and ghee were sold at Rs50/kg, 35/kg and 140/kg respectively, whereas the power tariff was Rs11 per unit and petrol was sold at Rs65 per litre.

“Nawaz Sharif got the masses rid of over 22-hour long power outages while not burdening the public,” PML-N chief organiser said and added the former prime minister built motorways and CPEC in the country.

The scion of the Sharif further added that Pakistan started progress when the PML-N supremo came to power but when he was dethroned, the country had nosed down. She also claimed that Nawaz Sharif had made an atomic power in the world and provided cheap electricity.

During workers’ convention, Maryam responded to rumors of her appointment to high-ranking positions by stating that she has surpassed the desire for any official title since her supporters have already shown her unwavering support and affection.

The PML-N senior vice president went on to emphasize that her people remain her primary source of empowerment, second only to a higher power.

In response to claims of her rise being attributed to her family’s political legacy, she firmly asserted that her representation of the people’s sentiments and preferences is an expression of democracy, not dynasty politics.