LAHORE - Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that political rivals are scared of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and therefore they are forging alliances against him.

Going too far in discrediting PML-N’s opponents, she arrogantly remarked that the significance of the political rivals of Nawaz Sharif was not more than a “tissue paper”.

She was addressing the party workers on the occasion of releasing 99-year lease to the 1,087 families in the Hindu Camp in NA-120 area of Sant Nagar here yesterday.

Maryam is the daughter of the disqualified PM, who was being tipped as the strongest potential candidate for ruling party’s nomination for the premiership before the Panama Papers case and resultant corruption cases against her and her family changed the whole scenario.

Maryam once again resorted to Supreme Court bashing on the question of disqualification verdict against Nawaz Sharif, terming the decision lopsided and based on the ‘flimsy ground’ of Iqama (residency permit).

She claimed that after disqualification, her father has emerged stronger in politics and his popularity has increased. She maintained that Nawaz was time and again brought before the law but on every occasion he emerged stronger than before.

“It is fear of Nawaz Sharif that alliances are making and breaking,” she said, asserting that all the political rivals of her father would lose in the next election and the PML-N would emerge victorious with thumping majority.

Maryam also did not rule out of the possibility of Nawaz Sharif’s coming to power again and said that he lived in the heart of the people and they would not let him stay away [from practical politics]. She wondered what kind of disqualification that has made the whole national politics to revolve around Nawaz Sharif.

She said in the cases against the Sharifs the nature of offence has been observed ‘prima facie’. She said fact of the matter is her grandfather was ancestrally a businessman who could afford to buy London flats.

Sharif family was accounted for their three generations but nothing illegal was found and Nawaz was ultimately ousted from the power on the loose ground of not accepting salary from his son, she added.

On Iqama, she said it was clear to everyone that it was meant to get visa [and not for money laundering as has been alleged].

She said that witnesses in the cases against them did not even know what evidence they have to give while their opponents continued to change their stance in the Supreme Court which passed decision against Nawaz Sharif.

On the Supreme Court decision on declaring Imran Khan as qualified to retain parliamentary membership, Maryam Nawaz said PTI chief had admitted that he owned the offshore company but the court said ‘no, no, it does not belong to you’.

Shedding light on the performance of Nawaz government, she said that it ended the scourge of loadshedding and terrorism in the country and gave direction to the national economy.

Without budging to the hostile situation created by the political rivals in form of dharnas and lockdowns, Nawaz Sharif continued the mission of public service and development and he fulfilled all promises made to the people, she added.

From the slogan-chanting party enthusiasts, Maryam elicited commitment on supporting Nawaz in his movement for justice in the country and the next general elections.