Maryam says got reprieve in cases 'on merit under old accountability laws'

Lahore: PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday claimed that she got pardon in cases against her on merit under the old NAB laws.

She denied getting any “relief” in cases against her following the recent amendments in accountability laws.

Speaking at a press conference hours after receiving her passport from the Lahore High Court today, Maryam rejected PTI Chairman Imran Khan's claim that she went scot-free as part of an “NRO given to her party”.

She said she served a jail sentence for over three months in a “fake case”, adding justice was overdue and it has been delivered now.

Maryam said her party was yet to be given a “level-playing field” despite being in power. “This will only be possible when justice is meted out and Imran gets the same treatment that Nawaz Sharif was given.”

To a question, she said Nawaz Sharif’s “way is now clear”, adding that an application will be filed with a court apprising it of vindication from all charges.

“Only he will decide the timing but Mian Sahib will soon return to the country,” she added. 

Maryam said she will try harder to get Imran punished for his “crimes”, claiming that the foreign funding case was the “father of all cases” against the former prime minister.

She castigated Imran for turning the word “neutral” into a “curse”, claiming he was raising hue and cry only because “the crutches lent to him in 2011 have been taken back”.

“If you are so popular, then why are you appealing to neutrals and forcing them to renege on their oath and help you?” she asked.

She went on to say that countries were now hesitant from sending ciphers to Pakistan assuming they might land in unwanted debates and conspiracies.

Maryam said firstly, the content of cipher was changed and then a conspiracy was hatched by the PTI leadership on the basis of cipher to use it for their personal objective.

"During a recent interview PTI chief was asked about whereabouts of cipher and he responded that he might had lost. Cipher was an important diplomatic document but the way the previous government had treated it was a worst example of non serious attitude," she added.

Commenting on the dismissal of the contempt notice against Imran, Maryam said she respected Justice Athar Minallah of the Islamabad High Court for his decision “but I want to tell the judiciary respectfully that generosity is not shown to people like him”.

About Imran Khan's recent statement about "misplacing" of the US cypher and the ouster of his government, the PML-N leader said that wasn't a record of a diamond ring that he misplaced or the record of the dollars that you took in the foreign funding case. It was Pakistan's property," she said.

Maryam said that since Pakistan's inception, no cypher had been misplaced. The PML-N leader added that a more serious crime than misplacing the cypher was changing the minutes of the meeting.

Maryam said the one [Imran Khan], who held secret meetings at the President's House, is now seeking NRO.

Maryam Nawaz said that public funds of the KPK government were being used on PTI chief whereas infrastructure of the entire province was in need of attention of the government.

To a question, Maryam Nawaz said that she would be travelling to London to meet her father and brothers there.