Maryam, Bilawal discuss strategy against Imran Khan government

Tariq Butt / Staff Reporter

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz held a luncheon meeting with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday with the consent and blessings of her father, incarcerated former prime minister and party president Shahbaz Sharif.

This was a rare occasion when the two young leaders, who are succeeding their fathers met, giving a boost to their future co-operation at a time when their elders are behind bars and are faced with most difficult situations.

PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said the party vice president invited Bilawal who accepted the invitation.

Maryam, in response to a question regarding whether approval had been given by senior party leaders, tweeted that and all other decisions in the party are taken after the approval of Mian Nawaz Sharif and Mian Shahbaz Sharif and taking the senior leaders into confidence.

She further stressed that “discipline and party hierarchy” are followed by her and all other members.

Last month, Maryam had been invited to an Iftar hosted by Bilawal for opposition parties. After the event, the opposition parties held a joint press conference and announced to “launch protests inside and outside the parliament after Eid Al Fitr” and hold an All Parties Conference (APC) to “chalk out a joint strategy on how to tackle the problems facing Pakistan.”

Bilawal had said at the time that Jamiate Ulemae Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman is calling an all parties’ conference in which a joint strategy against the government will be finalised.

The JUI-F leader corroborated the plan himself, and said that “Pakistan is emerging as a weak country in the world due to some incapable people ascending to power.”

Rehman said that “during the APC, a joint strategy for all opposition parties will be identified so as to stabilise this sinking ship”

Meanwhile, Bilawal’s spokesman Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar has been granted protective bail by the Islamabad District and Sessions Court.

Prior to Khokhar’s appearance in court, roads leading to the court were blocked by police who made every attempt to arrest him.

Khokhar has been accused of creating obstacles in the way of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s arrest on June 10 in the fake accounts case.

A first information report (FIR) was registered against Khokhar that day at the Margalla police station and was sealed.

“A false and baseless FIR was registered at the behest of the government,” said Khokhar whilst speaking to media after obtaining bail.

“Such machinations cannot detract us from our struggle against the government.”

He said that the Imran Khan government has been “blinded by revenge and has crossed all limits whilst pursuing it.”

Khokhar said that the “government kept saying that they have nothing to do with any of this (Asif Ali Zardari’s arrest) but they do.”

He said the government kept saying that this is accountability and not revenge, but this is revenge.

“They registered a case against me and sealed the FIR and I was not informed of its contents,” said Khokhar, adding that despite the magistrate’s orders, a copy was not provided to him by the police. “An allegation of attempting to free Zardari has been levelled against me. The entire media stands witness that there was no such thing that took place.”

The PPP spokesperson said he wonders if he can be targeted in a “state operation” like this, then what will become of the common man.

He announced that he has decided to pen a letter to the chief justice — “who has taken a big stand against false testimonies and false cases” — requesting him to look into the “false FIR.”

This is not the first instance this year that a case was registered against the PPP spokesperson.

In March, Khokhar and PPP Islamabad chapter President Raja Shakeel were booked for rioting and attacking police officials during Bilawal and Zardari’s appearance before NAB Rawalpindi.