K-P LG polls reflection of PTI’s performance: Maryam Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML) Vice President Maryam Nawaz said the failure of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is a reflection of its poor performance.

Maryam Nawaz appeared before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday to attend the hearing of her appeals against conviction in the Avenfield reference. IHC accepted the plea of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of adjourning the hearing.

While talking to media after the proceedings, she said the anti-graft watchdog had once filed a petition for a regular hearing of the case and it sought adjournment today.

Maryam Nawaz said NAB could not produce any evidence against her before the court, claiming that the cases against her were politically motivated.

She also felicitated the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) on winning the first phase of local government elections in KP. She said the victory of JUI-F is like the victory of her own party.

PML-N official said it had to happen with the PTI due to its poor performance and ineligibility. She claimed that even the lawmakers of the ruling party are criticising their government, stating that PTI’s ticket has become a ‘symbol of shame’.

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Maryam Nawaz said nobody will take PTI’s ticket now, adding that those still part of the ruling party must go in public wearing a helmet as the masses are fumed. She added that inflation has crushed the people.

She said the PTI-led government stalled the five percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth target of the Nawaz Sharif government and brought flour and sugar prices as well as dollar exchange rate to a new level.

PML-N vice president said it is the first government in history that is poorly losing in by-elections. She added that PTI stepped back from the by-poll in Lahore on the pretext of technical grounds as it could not face the public.

She said that PTI also lost poorly from Khanewal which it claimed as its ‘home’.

Maryam Nawaz said that after facing consecutive defeats, a respectable man would voluntarily step down from his position, tender an apology and say goodbye. She stated that Imran Khan still has the chance to leave people and admit that ‘he has failed’.

Answering a question, the PML-N vice president said KP was left behind in development due to the PTI government. She appealed that KP should give a chance to PML-N while asserting that her party should also converge its focus in the province.

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To another question, Maryam Nawaz said she could not comment if the establishment remained neutral in KP local government elections. She went on to say that Imran Khan’s performance is such that no power in the world can support him.

Maryam Nawaz said that PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif will decide about the candidate of prime ministership when the time comes, adding that she would happily be behind PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif if her father chooses him.

To a question, she reiterated that Nawaz Sharif is willing to come back to his homeland and ‘she wants him to return tomorrow’. Maryam Nawaz said Nawaz Sharif will return to his soil soon.