LAHORE - Ruling out any possibility of signing charter of economy with present regime, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz said any agreement with those who ‘stole people’s mandate and made life of common man miserable’ would be treachery with 220 million people.

Addressing a press conference at PML-N Secretariat in Model Town on Saturday, she said that instead of giving NRO, the party would hold incompetent rulers accountable for all the misdeeds.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif had offered the government the charter of economy. PPP Co-Chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari had also made the same offer at the National Assembly floor. PML-N legislators led by Malik Ahmed Khan had suggested the government during budget debate at Punjab Assembly to accept the offer of top leadership of two mainstream opposition parties for putting the economy on right track.

Flanked by Senator Pervaiz Rasheed and PML-N Punjab Information Secretary Azma Zahid Bokhari, Maryam Nawaz distanced herself from Shehbaz Sharif’s offer of charter of economy.

“Shehbaz has lot more political and administrative experience. He must definitely have considered things that I am unable to see. He has his own point of view,” said daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, adding, it was her own opinion as a Pakistani and party member.

Suggests commission on debts must start work from 1999 and not from 2008

“I have every right to express my opinion. I used to do this on different issues during party meetings before Shehbaz Sharif respectfully,” she said, adding, it was her opinion that charter of economy in reality would be joke with the economy. She said that giving the present regime a way out by signing the charter would be big mistake and injustice with public at large facing difficulties in making both ends meet due to wrong policies.

“How can you give him (PM Imran Khan) relief over something for which he should be held accountable for,” she raised the question. She said that the selected incompetent government had ruined the economy. She said that now the PM desired the opposition’s stamp as an ‘endorsement of his poor performance’. She said that it would not happen at all as giving him support would be unpopular decision.

She said that Nawaz Sharif was the final authority in the party and he shared her opinion. She reiterated that signing charter with those who had ruined the economy and made lives of common man difficult would be equivalent to giving an NRO.

To a question about her differences with Shehbaz, she said it was just difference of opinion and nothing more than that. “It is my personal opinion. It should not be taken as differences with my uncle and the party president. There is no conflict. Our opponents’ desire of split in the family will remain unfulfilled,” she said.

Maryam suggested forming commission on spending foreign loans but it must not start from 2008 but from 1999. She said ISI and MI must stay away from such rubbish and junk. She asked why the rulers were maligning the security institutions like ISI and MI by pulling them into those commissions made for political victimisation. She dispelled the impression of maligning any institution. PML-N leader said the heads of those institutions must think and decide that they ought to stay away from political matters. She said the proposed APC would decide about every option including the resignations from the assemblies and street agitation. 

Maryam avoided commenting on Chief of Army Staff’s proposed extension in tenure, saying the matter had yet to come up for consideration.

“If Nawaz Sharif’s life faced any danger,” she maintained, “everybody in the government would be held responsible. Neither this is Egypt nor will Nawaz Sharif be made a Morsi. He is a political prisoner and is in jail for the crime of striving for civilian supremacy,” she said.

To a question, she said Ishaq Dar did the right thing to request UK government against his victimisation.  She said JIT should also be constituted against Imran Khan, Aleema Khan and Jahangir Tareen.

About the health condition of Nawaz Sharif, she said he had suffered three heart attacks. She said despite suffering from serious pain Nawaz Sharif was not taken to hospital. She said Nawaz Sharif had seven stents and suffered three heart attacks over the last twenty years. He had an open heart surgery in London, and his physicians and surgeons had been warning of dangers and insisting on further treatment abroad. She lamented that the judiciary did not give him relief for such life saving treatment, but added that it was the right of the people to know about his condition being prime minister three times and a popular leader. Maryam said Nawaz Sharif’s one vain was blocked and could not be stented, and he suffered from shortage of blood supply to brain, attack of cardiac arrest and paralysis. His kidneys and lungs infection were on a serious stage.