August 22nd, protestors gathered in London during the Nikkah ceremony of Junaid Safdar, the son of Maryam Nawaz. The nikkah ceremony, held at the luxurious Lanesborough hotel, caused friction between members of PTI and PML-N in London.
Carrying placards, the protestors chanted slogans against Nawaz Sharif as he attended Junaid Safdar’s nikkah event. According to the protestors, the Nawaz family used the public’s money to organize the lavish nikkah event.
They also voiced their anger at Nawaz Sharif attending his grandson Junaid Safdar’s nikkah event and stated that Nawaz Sharif should be answering for his alleged illegal properties.
Read more: IHC dismisses petition challenging auction of Nawaz Sharif’s properties
The demonstrations infuriated the PML-N workers stationed at the venue and caused a scuffle between the workers and the protestors. The PML-N camp told off the protestors and said they should be ashamed of ruining someone’s wedding day, which is a happy occasion.
In response, the protestors maintained that they are entitled to “freedom of press” as per the law. The protestors said they respect the opposing side’s opinions too. Meanwhile, in the background, two men chanted “Go Niazi go!”
Scenes outside Lanesborough hotel as a group attempted to disrupt Junaid Safdar’s nikkah event https://t.co/iAiVKkZQ66 pic.twitter.com/7aXlFOCFv5
— Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) August 22, 2021
A man from the PML-N side also lashed out at a female protestor for creating ruckus at a private event. He urged the protestors to take their demonstrations someplace else and not ruin someone’s wedding ceremony. The man got extremely aggressive and his comrades restrained him.
Furthermore, the PML-N workers also accused the PTI protestors of bringing politics into every event of PML-N, be it a death or a wedding. Consequently, they said the protest was an “agenda.”
https://twitter.com/SamaaraSiddiqui/status/1429476188133658625?s=20
The clashes between the workers at Junaid Safdar’s nikkah event caused police to arrive at the scene.
Junaid Safdar’s nikkah event: Why didn’t Maryam Nawaz attend?
Maryam Nawaz herself announced the news of her son’s wedding ceremony on Twitter. By posting an image of the invitation card, she revealed that she will not attend the ceremony.
“My son, Junaid’s nikkah with Ayesha Saif-ur-Rehman will take place in London on 22nd August Inshallah. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the ceremony owing to blatant victimization and bogus cases and my name on ECL,” Maryam Nawaz tweeted.
Maryam Nawaz did not attend the ceremony due to her name on the Exit Control List (ECL).
Following the Avenfield Reference verdict announcement, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) requested Interior Ministry to include Nawaz and Maryam’s names on ECL.
To clarify, in 2018, NAB ousted Nawaz Sharif for owning properties beyond known income and 1 year for not cooperating with NAB. As per the sentence, Nawaz Sharif will serve 10 years in jail.
Read more: Maryam Nawaz woos foreign leaders with expensive gifts?
Maryam Nawaz on the other hand was given 7 years for abetment after she was found “instrumental in concealment of the properties of her father” and 1 year for non-cooperation with the bureau.
According to the Avenfield Reference verdict, she “aided, assisted, abetted, attempted and acted in conspiracy with her father.”
As a result, the government placed Maryam Nawaz’s name on the ECL, barring her from attending her son Junaid Safdar’s nikkah event.
Read more: Why is Maryam Nawaz’s son running elections from Rahim Yar Khan?