ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Saturday lashed out at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Maryam Nawaz, claiming that she had rejected the narrative of her party’s president and uncle, Shahbaz Sharif.

Addressing a press conference at the Press Information Department, Dr Awan responded sharply to a press conference by Ms Maryam earlier in the day.

“The convict princess was delivering lectures on the Panama Papers,” she sarcastically said about Ms Maryam’s press conference.

Says PML-N leader has rejected narrative of Shahbaz Sharif

Dr Awan said: “She spoke at length and expressed her lack of trust in her uncle and hit at her own party. She exposed one truth that the League has been divided over two narratives, and after today it is clear Maryam Safdar should have sought resignation from her uncle after criticising his charter of economy.”

She said it was the high moral standards of Prime Minister Imran Khan who has stopped the “release of (information about) your past misdeeds”. “We are telling you not to make personal comments on Imran Khan and his sister, otherwise our hands are also not tied,” she added.

Dr Awan accused Ms Maryam of giving political statements on the medical reports of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, claiming that the PML-N leader was making the mockery of medical profession by presenting a misinterpreted medical report.

She claimed that after the press conference it had become clear that Ms Maryam was suffering from a psychological problem due to selfishness.

She alleged that the Sharif family had minted money while in power and kept it out of the country, whereas Imran Khan’s financial history had been cleared by the Supreme Court. “Even you have never called him a corrupt person,” she said while addressing Ms Maryam.

Dr Awan accused Ms Maryam of having some issues with the country’s security institutions, saying that “your foreign friends, including [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi, cannot help you”.

She claimed that inclusion of specialised persons in an inquiry commission recently formed by the government had created fear among opposition leaders.

“You must not forget that you are a convict and your corruption trail is linked with your brothers,” she said while addressing Ms Maryam.

The special assistant to the PM claimed that the government would soon bring former finance minister Ishaq Dar back from abroad and recover from him the alleged looted money.

Dr Awan also criticised Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardar, claiming that he had tried to launch a drive against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government, but failed.

In reaction to the PPP chairman’s criticism of the government during a rally on Friday, she claimed in a tweet that the people of the country had rejected those who had converted Sindh into Moenjodaro.

She said Mr Bhutto-Zardari should not blame PM Khan for cases against his father because they were initiated by the Nawaz Sharif government.

She said the only fault of PM Khan was that he was ensuring implementation of the law equally for the rich and the poor, whereas in the past influential people were above the law.

Dr Awan said that Mr Bhutto-Zardari should focus on the performance of the PPP, adding that the PPP government in Sindh should disassociate itself from corruption otherwise the party would be rejected also by the people of Sindh.

She said the remarks of a Supreme Court judge had put a question mark on the performance of the Sindh government.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2019