MURREE : Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif claimed on Tuesday that former prime minister Imran Khan is “more dangerous than terrorists”, as she slammed the party’s recent riots in Islamabad.
Imran Khan had called off the long march last week, fearing more bloodshed, as protest rallies across the country resulted in the death of three — two PTI workers and a police constable.
But in her address at an event in Murree on Tuesday, the PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said: “Imran Khan is a gang leader […] his political campaign is more dangerous than terrorism.”
The PML-N leader said Imran Khan had admitted in a recent interview that his party workers were armed, whereas, in her rallies, “not a single person carries weapons”.
“Our goal is not to spread fitnah and fasad (anarchy and lawlessness). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s people have understood the politics of Imran Khan, which is why they were not part of his long march and his facial expressions were enough to show that the long march failed, ” she added.
She went on to say that ahead of the long march, law enforcement agencies (LEAs) found weapons at the residence of a PTI leader. “If a person is openly accepting that they are involved in terrorist activities, then should we let them off the hook?”
The PML-N leader asked Imran Khan to remove the “political veil” from his face if he wants to continue committing terrorism in Pakistan, as once authorities see his real face, then he would be dealt with like “terrorists”.
“Imran Khan has put up a political facade and is involved in armed terrorism under its guise […] and he knows that once November passes, his conspiracy will fail, ” she said.
Maryam warned that “Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad” would be launched against “fasadis” — Imran Khan and supporters — for bringing back peace and stability to the country. The PML-N leader added that the ousted prime minister was not waging jihad, but “fasad” and the government would do everything in its power to stop this “fasad”.
“What difference is there between Khan and terrorists? Even terrorists attack Pakistan with weapons. Moreover, the KP chief minister has also hinted at a clash between his province and the federation.” Maryam Nawaz said since Imran Khan was removed from the prime minister’s office, he has set fires across the country. “These are only the goals of a terrorist.”
Maryam Nawaz claimed that Imran Khan was searching for another figure like former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar in the judiciary to support him.
Maryam said: “He (Imran) is searching for a Saqib Nisar in the judiciary and [also] looking for a [contact] number in the establishment [since the previous one] is now closed.”
She accused the PTI chief of trying to drag the judiciary into his “failed politics”. “I was watching TV yesterday and he (Imran) was addressing the courts and the Supreme Court (SC) as if he was ordering them, ” she said.
“In other words, he was saying to the SC that ‘I’ve been rejected from everywhere … so now only the courts and SC remain, so come and save my life and get my long march carried out’.”
The PML-N vice president urged the judiciary to not become a part of his “disgusting and chaotic politics”. “He has set out with the intent to turn a few judges of the judiciary into Saqib Nisar, ” she added.
Criticising the former CJP, she said he had made such “brutal and one-sided decisions” that there was no refuge for him apart from Imran.
“Don’t try to fire the gun you’ve aimed at Pakistan’s Constitution, law, politics, progress and people from the court’s shoulder, ” Maryam said as she warned the judiciary that if Imran “uses them today then he would curse them in the streets tomorrow”.
She criticised Imran, saying that the present conditions of the country were calling on every citizen — regardless of their political affiliation — to play their part due to what she said was the damage caused to the economy by the PTI government.
“For four years the government did nothing except seek revenge or spend official resources on itself, ” she alleged.
She said there was “zero per cent exaggeration” in the statement that Pakistan’s economy was on the ventilator when her party inherited it last month.
Maryam also addressed Imran’s comments from Monday where he admitted in an interview that Azadi March participants were armed. She deemed it “a confession of his crime”. She said the statement had validated the government’s earlier claims of receiving intel about PTI groups being armed for the long march.
She said the PTI no longer had any ground to claim that its march was “a political activity or peaceful protest”.
Maryam also blasted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan’s comments from yesterday wherein he vowed to use KP’s “force” for the next protest march. She asked what the reaction would have been if another chief minister had uttered such comments.
Regarding the recent visit of a Pakistani-American delegation to Israel, Maryam said it had no link with the government which she said still continued to stand with the Palestinians and would not even gaze in Israel’s direction.
She called on Imran to cease using the incident as propaganda, warning that he would receive a “befitting reply” in return, referring to his support for his former brother-in-law Zac Goldsmith for London’s mayor.