News Analysis |
Maryam Nawaz, a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and daughter of the ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Friday that their political rivals are under constant pressure as the PML-N “is winning”. Maryam Nawaz is in London these days to see her ailing mother. She was speaking to media outside the Harley Clinic in London.
Maryam Nawaz’s comments that her political opponents are fearful of her party are misleading and contrary to the facts on ground.
When asked why PML-N is facing some severe challenges these days, Maryam responded by stating that ‘PML-N is the most popular political party in Pakistan and our rivals know it’. “Do whatever you will but no one will be able to stop the nation on the day of the polling,” she added.
Maryam Nawaz declined to comment on the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) proceedings against PML-N leaders allegedly involved in mega corruption scandals.
Read more: No victimization of PMLN leader, says NAB chief
Maryam Nawaz contesting elections
Maryam’s father Nawaz Sharif had said many times that “his daughter has nothing to with politics or business of the family and she was being dragged into it for vested political interests of his political enemies.” Nawaz made efforts to present Maryam as a housewife to protect his family in the accountability court.
Later on, Maryam Nawaz decided to contest elections from NA-125 against PTI’s Dr. Yasmeen Rashid. But due to some unknown reasons, Maryam Nawaz changed her constituency and asked to contest from NA-127. But Maryam Nawaz took a different position on the matter, saying, “my ticket for the constituency was announced today (Wednesday),” she said, adding that she had requested the party ticket for NA-125. “I will contest elections according to the direction of party leadership.”
However, the PML-N’s parliamentary board had earlier issued party ticket of NA-125 to the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter and gave NA-127 (Lahore) ticket to Pervaiz Malik.
With Maryam contesting from NA-127, a stiff competition is expected between Malik and Bilal Yaseen for the NA-125 ticket. The party high-command has left the seat open and has not named candidate for the seat yet.
Maryam Nawaz is in London these days to see her ailing mother. She was speaking to media outside the Harley Clinic in London.
“If Maryam is contesting from NA-127, it’s my right to contest from NA-125,” Bilal Yaseen remarked.
Recently, PML-N faced severe criticism on social and electronic media when the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) shared data on electoral candidates’ assets. Maryam Nawaz, daughter of the ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had always declined to admit that she owned anything in Pakistan or abroad, owns assets worth Rs845 million.
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Maryam Nawaz who always claimed that she ‘lived at her father’s house’ and has no property or any other business, has also spent Rs6.4 million on foreign trips within the last three years, her asset details show.
According to Maryam’s affidavit, her net assets—as recorded on June 30 for the financial year 2017—amounted to Rs845 million.
Moreover, Maryam Nawaz is a shareholder in the Hamza Spinning Mills Limited, Chaudhry Sugar Mills Limited, Muhammad Buksh Textile Mills Limited, Hudaibiya Papers Mills Limited and Hudaibiya Engineering Co Private Limited.
In addition to holding shares in a number of companies, she is currently the owner of 1,506 kanal of agricultural land, a figure reached by an increase of 548 kanals within the last three years.
The former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter also invested Rs3.4 million in a family flour mill and was given a loan with Rs20 million by her brother Hassan Nawaz.
Maryam’s willful decline to admit that the PML-N is under huge pressure since most of the electables in Punjab apart from some loyalists like Zaeem Qadari and Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor have changed their loyalties and joined the PTI. Maryam Nawaz’s comments that her political opponents are fearful of her party are misleading and contrary to the facts on ground.