PML-N Vice-president Maryam Nawaz on Saturday said all parties, which were part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), had broken shackles of fear and challenged the pharaohs.

Addressing the party workers in Quetta, Maryam said the slogan of “Vote ko Izzat Do” (respect the vote) had already frightened some people and they were further terrorised by the recent speeches delivered by Nawaz Sharif, the party supremo.

She, however, said the same people should be afraid of the people’s reaction in Gujranwala after the speech.

Maryam said Nawaz Sharif talked about the state above the state and their actions in the next few days – including the kidnapping of Sindh IG – proved what the party leader had stated.

The PML-N vice-president also mentioned the abduction of Geo News reporter Ali Imran Syed who had obtained and later got aired the CCTV footage of the entire incident at the Karachi hotel where Capt Safdar was arrested after barging into the room. It was an attempt to hide their actions, she added.

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She praised the Sindh government and the people, especially the police, for exposing and foiling the attack by the state on their province.

Maryam said they wanted to bring Balochistan into the mainstream and added that she would talk to the Baloch people in detail at Sunday’s rally.

Earlier, Maryam told reporters after reaching the provincial capital that providing security was a government responsibility, which would be responsible for any untoward incident.

Security threat was no excuse to postpone the PDM rally, Maryam said as she questioned whether the move would eliminate the security threat.

When asked about the claims made by Shahbaz Gill who is a special assistant to the prime minister, she replied, “Who Shahbaz Gill? I don’t know him.”

Earlier on Friday, the Balochistan government had asked the opposition alliance to postpone the rally, as its spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani termed it necessary amid the terror alert issued by NACTA (National Counter Terrorism Authority).

They were taking the alert seriously, he said, adding that the PDM leadership should act in a responsible manner.  

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Before leaving for Quetta, Maryam said the party supremo, Nawaz Sharif, would address the PDM rally in Quetta via video link, ending the speculations why he didn’t do so at the last public meeting held in Karachi and whether he was ready to repeat the same in future.

Some circles had suggested that the PPP didn’t want him to speak while others were of the view it was a personal choice as the Karachi rally held soon after the first gathering in Gujranwala.

Maryam – who was talking to media persons at Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore – said only the Sindh government should probe into the Karachi episode, adding that no other institution had the right to hold an inquiry.

There was no need to hold any inquiry because of everything being clear, Maryam repeated her stance and added that the facts could not be hidden from the people by fixing a long period for holding the inquiry.  

She was referring to the incident where the Sindh police chief was kidnapped for forcing him to order registration of a case following the arrest of her husband Capt Safdar after barging into the hotel room where she stayed during the visit to the port city.

Another reporter Ali Imran Syed has been sent to northern areas for sightseeing after kidnapping him, she remarked, adding that Ali was behind airing the CCTV footage of what really happened at the hotel.

The comments came as Ali has been missing since Friday evening and it is feared that he was kidnapped.

Maryam was referring to the kidnapping of SECP Joint Director Sajid Gondal who was abducted in Islamabad. Some days later, Gondal reappeared after being released and stated that he had gone to the northern areas with his friends for a visit.

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The PML-N vice-president said they had earned a bad name by kidnapping the Sindh IG and arresting Safdar, adding that the practice of picking up people to silence the voices of truth must be stopped.

About Prime Minister Imran Khan’s claim that he would even visit the UK, if required, and meet Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ensure the return of Nawaz, Maryam said the UK was run on the basis of constitution and law, not by the rhetoric of PTI government.

“Only Imran Khan needs an NRO. No other person requires any NRO,” she said when asked about the prime minister’s latest interview aired by a private TV channel.