‘PDM leaders, workers to show up in hundreds of thousands during Maryam’s NAB hearing’

Pakistan Democratic Movement chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday said that during PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s hearing on March 26 with the National Accountability Bureau, the opposition alliance will be present with her in a show of solidarity.

The two leaders held a media briefing following a meeting between them which was also attended by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Hamza Shahbaz.

“The apparent reasons cited by NAB have exposed the bureau for the puppet institution it is. It has approached the court for cancellation of [Maryam’s] bail on the basis that she speaks against institutions.

“So the institution has been formed not to combat corruption but to serve other institutions,” he said.

Fazlur Rehman said that when she appears before NAB on Friday, all of the PDM’s workers and leaders will be right there with her.

He went on to say that the workers will number “not thousands, but hundreds of thousands”.

It will be decided later who among the leaders will be present, but nonetheless, we will be there and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her, the PDM chief said.

Maryam has been summoned by the anti-corruption watchdog in pursuance of two cases — the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case and one pertaining to purchase of land in Raiwind.

‘No rift due to Opposition leader candidate in Senate’

When asked whether differences that have reportedly emerged between PPP and the rest of the alliance over many issues, including the matter of appointing Yousaf Raza Gillani as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Fazlur Rehman shot down the notion that there is a rift.

“PDM is not only united, through mutual consultations we have matters under control. We all have to move ahead forward. The nine parties that have a particular ideology will request the PPP to respect their viewpoint,” he said.

The PDM chief said that the alliance will wait for the outcome of the PPP’s Central Executive Committee meeting — set to take place in the first week of April — and is also willing to review their recommendations so that the alliance can move forward effectively.

Is govt ‘taking advantage’ of this perceived lack of unity within PDM?

Maryam was asked to comment on whether the government has begun to “take advantage” of this perceived lack of unity or “miscoordination” between PDM.

To this, the PML-N Vice President responded by saying: “We are striving to keep all parties united. But [in any case] Imran Khan’s future is not linked with the PDM. His future and that of his fake government hinges on his own performance.”

She said that whatever the inner workings of the PDM, Imran Khan will have to answer for the “incompetence, ineptitude that has swallowed the country whole” and not the opposition alliance.

Maryam said that the PDM will demand an answer to this “incompetence” from the government and will “fully represent and safeguard” the interests of the people. “We will not allow the government to escape from the backdoor,” she said.