*ISLAMABAD – **Maryam Nawaz spits venom against state institutions in aninterview to foreign news agency Voice of America.*
*Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Maryam Nawaz said on Thursday that sheopted for a difficult way, rather than polishing boots to avoidvictimization of her family and party.*
The PML-N leader said so during an interviewlink with Voiceof America. She spoke about her political struggle, future strategy and therole of non-political forces in Pakistan.
Maryam said if she had any aspirations, then show would not have opted forthe way of struggle.
“I know the other way too, which many individuals choose. But in that, youhave to sacrifice your self-respect, polish boots,” she said. “I chose thedifficult path and paid a huge price for that over the last three years.”
To a question about “injustice” done to Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N leader saidshe was not the only saying that injustice was meted out to the formerpremier, but the entire country was saying so.
She said the judge, who convicted her father, was himself saying this now.
“In fact he is informing how he was blackmailed into punishing Nawaz Sharifwith an obscene video of his,” Maryam said. “We can’t look at it inisolation as this is an entire web of lies, an entire chain of sequence ofevents that culminated into the verdict against Nawaz.”
Maryam described the Panama case against Nawaz as a “conspiracy”, which shesaid ended at an Iqama.
“The world knows that an Iqama is a resident visa and for not receiving itsimaginary salary, a prime minister of 220 million people was forced out ofthe office.”
She also mentioned the formation of a “Whatsapped” JIT and “carefullychosen” judges. She said it was all planned and a few media men were alsopart of this game.
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The PML-N leader referred to a video in which a colonel was reportedly seenwalking out of a court building and hiding his face when a journalistattempted to ask him questions on camera.
She also noted the statement of Islamabad High Court’s former judge ShaukatAziz Siddiqui, in which he said he was under pressure not to grant bail toher and Nawaz. “Today, he is himself seeking justice after being made anexample,” Maryam added.
Maryam reaffirmed that she had more evidence pertaining to Judge ArshadMalik video leak controversy, but said she was “acting very responsibly”.
“I am a daughter and I feel like doing all what I can for my father. I cantake a bullet for him,” she said. “But I am a Pakistani as well. My purposeis not to get into a confrontation with institutions.”
The PML-N leader said the allegations against Nawaz were first leveled inthe media and then in a court. She said her father had thrice been theprime minister of Pakistan, who rendered services for the country.
“The issue of justice and the constitution is linked with him. It is notjust mine but every Pakistani’s issue,” she said.
Maryam said Nawaz was not the only prime minister who was punished on thepretext of accountability. “Benazir and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto also fell preyto it; my fight is also for them.”
She said the constitution specified role of every institution and the realpower rested with the people. The PML-N leader said governing the countrywas the job of representatives elected by the people.
She lamented direct or indirect suspension of democracy over the past 70years, saying that democratic norms were never allowed to be strengthenedin the country.
