Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on Tuesday said her name had been included in corruption reference just to bow down his father and family before opponents.
“There was no mention of my name in the April 2017 verdict, but she was later implicated in the JIT, formed by the court,” she said while addressing a news conference.
She said she had submitted answers of 127 questions asked during the hearing of the Avenfield reference in the Accountability Court, which pertains to the Sharifs’ London properties and among three cases filed against the family by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) last year.
Maryam was of the view that she was dragged into the case because of family’s opposition to anti-democratic forces. “Despite not figuring anywhere in the Supreme Court judgment, I was dragged into the case whose origin is a mindset of teaching a lesson to their opponents.”
“This mindset has threatened, harassed and victimised those who refuse to accept the excesses, those who had the courage to stand up against injustice and those who have dared to question the rotten, entrenched practice of bringing elected prime ministers to their knees on one pretext or the other, be it religion, corruption or even declaring traitor,” she said while reading out a part of her statement, recorded before the Accountability Court.
Maryam said “I admire my father and know why my name has been included in this case. I am not involved in any financial corruption or any theft.”
She said “I have appeared before the court more than 70 times and the proceedings are still underway”, adding in 70- year history of the country no woman, sister, daughter had consecutively appeared before the accountability court and “I am being victimized for being daughter of great Nawaz Sharif.”
In Pakistani culture, she said daughters are considered respectable but all this had been forgotten due to personal grudges with Nawaz Sharif and to take revenge from him. “My only fault is that I am Nawaz Sharif’s daughter. My only fault is that I, like other brave women of this country, have been standing by my father. My only fault is that I think my father is right,” she added.
Maryam said “my name had been included in the case to pressurize my father because they are aware of the sensitive relationship between a father and a daughter.”
“Nawaz Sharif is the one who refused to surrender, resign before guns and faced world’s pressure to make Pakistan a nuclear power. He is the one who bravely suffered every atrocity, committed against him by Pervez Musharraf,” she continued.
“They want to pressurize Nawaz Sharif by dragging his daughter in the court but they do not know Nawaz Sharif and his daughter,” he said, adding “My father is struggling for the welfare of the people of Pakistan and to protect their right to vote and democracy. I am my father’s strength, not his weakness,” Maryam said adding “she will not let her father’s head bow down.”
She said “Nawaz Sharif is a loving father, my name was included in the case to test his (Nawaz Sharif) nerves and bow down but they do not know Nawaz Sharif, they do not know his daughter”.
“Nawaz Sharif is not fighting for power but he is waving the flag against 70-year old disease of not giving respect to vote and for the right of people,” she said.
She said narrative of Nawaz Shairf is for democratic revolution and those understanding the importance of vote are with him.
She said Nawaz Sharif has eliminated terrorism, ensured peace in Balochistan as well as Karachi, made country’s defence impregnable, provided latest infrastructure, constructed motorway as well as roads, provided jobs, conducted census, brought FATA in mainstream, started China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and ended load shedding.
These are the faults committed by him and he is being victimized against the successes achieved for the people the country, she added.
She said that Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had given a hope to the people and brought a dictator in the court of law.
Maryam said that one of the biggest court is of the Almighty Allah where no JIT, no Whatsapp and no witness will be required.
“I hope, the court, while giving the decision, will remember that court which all of us would face on Day of Judgement,” she added.
