Dawn leaks non-issue, created to pressurise Nawaz: Maryam

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz said the Dawn Leaks issue was created to pressurise former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.  

In an interview on Geo News' program Naya Pakistan hosted by Talat Hussain, Maryam claimed that Dawn Leaks was a 'non-issue.'

"The reality of the [Dawn Leaks] issue should have been revealed," she said, adding that the truth should have been brought forward.

She stated that the Supreme Court's verdict to disqualify her father from holding public office did not fulfil the requirements of justice. 

"The Supreme Court's decision not only astonished the PML-N but the entire world," she said.  

“We were not given the opportunity of a fair trial and the verdict did not fulfil the requirements of justice. The world is astonished over that verdict. When our judges — who are experts of and understand the law — give such a verdict, it will not only astonish the PML-N but the entire world, questions will be raised,” she added.

Maryam said that keeping in view the treatment meted out by the judiciary over the last year and a half, it was not possible to hope for justice, yet “we decided to test the judicial system once again” by filing the review petitions against the Panama Papers case verdict.

“The way we were treated in the last year and a half and the way court proceedings of the cases were held, the way verdicts came, after that, it was not possible to hope for justice. With this in mind, we decided to once again test the judicial system of the country. We wanted to fulfil the legal requirements and the world should know that we approached the court repeatedly and tried to have our voice heard. Now, the result is in front of everyone.”

The Sharif family was subjected to the worst media and judicial trial over the last year and a half, she lamented.

"The people know everything and they have supported us throughout,” she added, stating that the nation repeatedly announced its verdict in favour of Nawaz Sharif during all the by-polls conducted over the course of the Panama Papers case proceedings.

“I believe there is no bigger injustice than what was done with us for the last one-and-a-half year. We were subjected to the worst media and judicial trial. What happened during the JIT (Joint Investigation Team), I do not want to go into those details. We stayed within the system and fought for our rights and are now raising our voice for our rights.”

“Nawaz Sharif made several compromises in his four and a half years, which, in my opinion, he should not have done,” she added.

Maryam further added that it would not be wrong to say the public has run the election campaign for PML-N in the constituency, insisting that her mother will be an active candidate who will represent the party in the assembly after she recovers from her ailment.

In response to a question about her own nomination for the seat, she said she will soon represent the party in the assembly.

“The difference between previous elections and this one is that eighty percent of the supporters this time around is the youth of the country,” Maryam said, in response to a question about the election campaign.