Pakistan: Maryam Nawaz takes a dig at judiciary for letting "devil" Imran go in contempt case

Lahore [Pakistan], October 5 : Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday took a dig at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) decision of dismissing a contempt case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
She said that IHC's decision to dismiss the contempt case against the "devil" PTI Chairman Imran Khan has "emboldened" him, reported Geo News.
Maryam said the judiciary should not be lenient with a person like Khan who thinks like "Satan" and his only job is to blame people and launch smear campaigns.
Khan had made some controversial remarks against sessions judge Zeba Chaudhry and other officials at a rally on August 20 in Islamabad.
"For years, he has been doing this. And when he does (something illegal) and sees that action will be taken against him, he apologises," Maryam said about Khan who recently escaped being charged with contempt of court.
The PML-N leader said Khan went to the chambers of Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry to apologise as he was aware that if he does not do it, then he can be disqualified.
"Was Zeba asked whether she wants to forgive him or not? Do you (courts) know what kind of precedent you are setting? Now anyone can abuse and threaten any woman in jalsas," she said.
Maryam added that since Khan has been forgiven, the contempt cases against PML-N leaders Talal Chaudhry, Daniyal Aziz, and Nehal Hashmi should also be disposed of.
"This devil (Khan) whom you have forgiven will do this again. He has been emboldened as he knows that now no matter what he does, he can seek forgiveness," she said.
Referring to Khan's recent statement where he mentioned "misplacing" the US cypher allegedly linked to his ouster, Maryam said that she is "at a loss for words" at the PTI chairman's carelessness, reported Geo News.
"This wasn't a record of a diamond ring that you 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, reported Geo News.
"There was no mention of a conspiracy, and then, you built a conspiracy (by manipulating the minutes of the meeting)," the PML-N vice president said.
Maryam said that after Khan's stunt, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has told officials that the world has refused to send cyphers to Pakistan, fearing that it might be turned into a conspiracy, reported Geo News.
The PML-N leader castigated Khan for dissolving the parliament on the basis of "forged" minutes of the meeting.
In response to a question, Maryam said that Nawaz will himself decide about his return to Pakistan. "The way for his return is clear. All we have to do is submit an application in the court."
In a press conference after receiving her passport following the passage of three years in line with the Lahore High Court's orders, the PML-N vice president spoke at length about her legal battles, Khan's vendetta against her family, the court's decision to let him go, and other pressing political matters, reported Geo News.
The PML-N leader said that had received her passport and would soon visit her father in London -- whom she hasn't seen in person for the last three years.
"I am happy today that I have received my passport, but I would like to ask as to why I was deprived of my fundamental right for three years," the PML-N leader said.
Maryam said that her passport was confiscated when the "foreign-funded fitna (anarchist)" Imran Khan was in power and he was afraid that her jalsas would lead to his ouster, reported Geo News.
Maryam said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested her -- while she was visiting her father in jail -- under the pretext of investigation.
"They kept me in the NAB premises unlawfully as there was no space to detain women at NAB; they evacuated their daycare centre and held me there," she said.
"They held me there for 57 days," Maryam noted, adding that during the probe, the investigators would ask her questions totally unrelated to the case -- including which Paulo Coelho book she was reading and who sets the menu for her family.
"They did not have any case against me; they confiscated my passport and did not return it for three years," she said.
Maryam reminded the nation that she wasn't sentenced to jail in the Calibri font (Panama Papers) case -- which stirred up controversies and legal battles eventually leading to her father's ouster as prime minister, reported Geo News.
"The question is: why was a false case built against me?" she asked.