Maryam urges govt to treat PTI as ‘terrorist organisation’

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz said Friday that the government should deal with the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as a terrorist organisation — and the time had passed to sit and negotiate with the deposed prime minister.

In a hard-hitting press conference in Lahore, the PML-N leader lashed out at the former premier for creating a “scene” at his Zaman Park residence, saying Khan announced a “revolt against the state institutions”.

On Tuesday, PTI workers and police clashed for nearly 24 hours as Zaman Park virtually became a battleground, with the law enforcers trying to get through supporters and arrest Khan, who was voted out as the prime minister in the National Assembly last April.

Scores of people — including police personnel and PTI workers — were injured in the process as the law enforcers fired teargas and party supporters resorted to throwing Molotov cocktails.

Read more: Court summons Maryam Nawaz for allegedly insulting ‘state institutions’

Referring to the clashes outside Khan’s residence, the PML-N’s chief organiser said that scenes at Zaman Park and the Kacha area are similar — the Kacha area is infamous for being a haven for notorious criminals, including high-profile kidnappers.

Maryam also accused Khan of attacking the state in collaboration with the banned organisations. She further said that he was “launched” into the government at the behest of “external forces”.

Turning her guns towards the judiciary and the establishment, the scion of the Sharif family’s political dynasty said that Justice (retd) Asif Saeed Khosa gave shameful titles to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Khosa, the former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), had reportedly used terms of “Sicilian Mafia” and “The Godfather” while hearing the Panama Papers case involving the three-time prime minister and others.