Home Latest News Maryam Nawaz Accuses Imran Khan of Using NSC as Political Tool

Maryam Nawaz Accuses Imran Khan of Using NSC as Political Tool

by Staff Report

Screengrab of Maryam Nawaz’s press conference

PMLN leader urges security establishment to clarify its stance on alleged ‘threat letter’ and rubbishes PTI’s claims of ‘foreign conspiracy’

Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday accused appointed Prime Minister Imran Khan of using a “fake threat letter” drafted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to distract the public from his government’s poor governance, and urged the security establishment to issue a formal statement clarifying its stance on the alleged foreign conspiracy.

“The so-called threat letter was drafted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” she told a press conference in Lahore. “Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.S., Asad Majeed, was abruptly transferred to Brussels a day before Imran Khan waved the letter at a public meeting. Why is this letter not presented before the Supreme Court and the nation? In fact there is no such letter,” she said, claiming that the “drama” of the letter had been completed exposed.

Urging the security establishment to clarify its stance on the “letter”—reportedly a diplomatic cable authored by Majeed on the basis of his discussions with U.S. officials—Nawaz said Khan was using it, as well as the National Security Committee (NSC), as a political tool. “Imran Khan used the National Security Committee forum for his political narrative,” she said. “He gave an impression that the NSC was with him on this issue but as a matter of fact it isn’t. The security establishment should come forward and clear its position on the matter,” she said, adding, “This was the National Security Committee, not the ‘Save Imran Khan’ committee.”

Nawaz is merely the latest politician to demand the security establishment clarify the contents of the allegedly threatening diplomatic cable; earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari; Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Fazlur Rehman; and PMLN President Shahbaz Sharif had all urged the military leadership to confirm or deny the PTI’s allegations of the opposition leaders committing “treason.”

Stressing that the “letter” was built upon an “unfounded conspiracy,” Nawaz questioned why the PTI suddenly did not want any further scrutiny of it despite having already “read out” its contents to handpicked media; the entire federal cabinet; and even some celebrities. “You waved an empty paper during your jalsa,” she alleged to Khan, adding that there was no threat.

“I must ask: where is the ambassador who had received the letter?” she said.

During her press conference, Nawaz slammed Khan for using pictures of opposition leaders meeting foreign diplomats as the basis of his allegations of a foreign conspiracy. Showing pictures of Khan—from his time in the opposition—meeting foreign diplomats, she questioned if he had also been hatching a conspiracy. “Whenever we [opposition] met diplomats, we talked about our country and its good traits,” she said.

Referring to the PTI’s claims of the public having forgotten rampant inflation in its tenure because of the alleged foreign conspiracy, she said this was delusional. “If you think the public will forget about the inflation, you are mistaken,” she said, adding that Khan had violated the Constitution of Pakistan just to stay in power for a few more days.

“Four dictators that ruled this country did not violate the Constitution as badly as Imran Khan did,” she said. “The punishment for violating the Constitution is Article 6, which pertains to committing high treason,” she said, adding that National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, and Imran Khan had all equally been involved in violating the Constitution. “The Constitution is not under the speaker or deputy speaker, rather they are the ones who must act in accordance with Constitution,” she said. “In the next election, you [Khan] will be contesting as a politician who violated the Constitution. If the courts do not punish you, the people of Pakistan will,” she vowed.

The PMLN leader concluded her press conference by reiterating accusations of corruption against Farah Khan, a close friend of Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi. “Farah was the front-person of Bani Gala,” she alleged. “Appointments in Punjab either occurred through witchcraft or by paying bribes to Farah Khan,” she said, adding that Farah was the “actual” chief minister of Punjab, while Usman Buzdar was just a “dummy.”

Farah reportedly left Pakistan for Dubai on Sunday. Nawaz alleged this was done at the behest of the PTI chairman. “Imran Khan helped Farah flee the country to save his skin. She may be brought back through Interpol. We want all such characters to be placed on no-fly list,” she added.

Related Articles

Leave a Comment