LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-president Maryam Nawaz has said that state terrorism and repression was demonstrated in front of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office today, unarmed workers were tortured and stones were hurled at my vehicle.
Maryam Nawaz, PML-N leader and political heir of the Sharif family addressed a press conference later in the day to narrate her ordeal.
She said that peaceful and unarmed workers were pelted with stones, tear gas and stones injured PML-N workers.
Maryam said govt is scared of PML-N’s rising popularity and wants to play dirty game that will not support it.
Maryam said she received NAB’s summons day before yesterday and alleged that the anti-corruption watchdog had leaked the information to media about the notice.
She said that there is no allegation in the notice and read out the summons in front of media persons. She said the reason to call me on this vague notice was to harm me.
Maryam Nawaz said that she also received a message to go back, the NAB did not open the door, and they remained hidden.
“I stood outside the NAB door and asked them to take my reply but they did not open the NAB office door”, Maryam Nawaz said.
Flanked by PML-N leaders, Rana Sanaullah, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Marriyum Aurangzeb and others, she called today’s incident an act of “state-sponsored terrorism” witnessed by her personally.
“Not for me or the PML-N, it is a moment to ponder for the ‘fake and selected’ government,” she said, adding that today the unarmed party workers present near the NAB office were shelled with tear gas and baton-charged.
“For the first time I saw stoning and NAB-gardi and tear-gas shelling but the workers remained steadfast,” she said in an apparent appreciation.
She said that despite the shelling and the injuries, the workers stood by her. “I pay salute to them, courtesy of the media.”
The PML-N leader said that former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah has said that the party will provide legal assistance to the arrested and detained workers.
Calling the guards “unsung heroes”, the PML-N leader said she could not initially ascertain where were the stones being hurled from, adding that she narrowly escaped a head injury or similar accident.
“Pervaiz Rasheed was in the car with me, he told me that thankfully it was bulletproof car otherwise the stones and bricks would have hit my head,” Maryam Nawaz said, adding that the NAB after calling her to the “place of vengeance,” told her to return after the scuffle broke out.
The PML-N leader condemned the government for having arrested Jang/Geo Media Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. She said that the government was trying to suppress the voice of the media.
Referring indirectly to Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, Maryam said,”A minister said he would speak to Imran Khan about releasing Mir Shakil. Did Imran Khan arrest Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman or NAB did?” she asked.
Referring to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s upcoming All-Parties Conference, she said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had instructed the party leadership to follow and cooperate with other Opposition parties to present a united front.
“If Maulana sahab has any reservations, the PML-N will remove them. No need to worry about this,” said Maryam.
According to the internal surveys that the government does not release to the public, the popularity graph of the PML-N has risen, especially in Punjab, and the PTI government is now scared to leave the government, she said.
Earlier, Maryam Nawaz left National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office after the anti-graft watchdog postponed her hearing due to a violent clash between PML-N workers and police. She was summoned in a case pertaining to illegal transfer of 180 acres of land in Raiwind.
Right after departure of Maryam Nawaz from the bureau’s office, police started arresting PML-N workers as NAB has decided to file cases against leadership of the party including Maryam over clashes.
