'Why not get married in Lahore?': PTI leaders react to wedding announcement of Maryam Nawaz's son

• Nikkah ceremony of Maryam Nawaz's son will take place in London.
• Maryam cannot travel abroad as her name is placed on ECL.
• PTI leaders wonder why marriage cannot take place in Pakistan.

PTI leaders are not happy with PML-N's Vice-President Maryam Nawaz for turning her guns on the government as she cannot travel abroad and attend her son's wedding due to her name being placed on the Exit Control List (ECL).

"Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the ceremony owing to blatant victimisation, bogus cases, and my name on ECL," Maryam wrote, as she shared an image of the wedding invitation on Twitter.

"I was in jail when my beloved mother passed away and now I won't be able to share my son's happiness, but, I will NOT make any request to this government for travel abroad. I leave the matter to Almighty Allah," she added.

The leaders' reactions

Responding to Maryam, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Political Relations Dr Shahbaz Gill said Maryam is in a habit of misrepresenting facts and is continuing to doing so even on the occasion of her son's upcoming wedding in London.

"It is your habit to misrepresent [facts] which you have continued even at your son's wedding," he said, asking the PML-N leader to tell people "the truth" about her properties.

Dr Gill said that this is not all. He said Maryam submitted fake documents typed in the Calibri font in court because of which she was punished and now she cannot go to London.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Barrister Shahzad Akbar said Maryam could not travel abroad as there was a "real risk" she would not return just like her father, Nawaz Sharif.

"Not sure what you’re trying to say, as reality is you’re a CONVICT who is on bail, and your appeal currently is being heard in IHC. You cannot proceed abroad as there is a real risk you will not return as your father, two brothers, cousin, and uncle are all POs who have evaded law!"

"Btw it’s not that Junaid’s grandfather was Lord Sharif of Walthamstow! Shouldn’t you be having the wedding here where you claim to have roots, Gawalmandi offers best food in Lahore, you n all ‘others’ can participate n afterwards present yourselves before law," Akbar said.

Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wazir said apparently a lavish wedding in a foreign land was more important than the mother of the groom in presence.

"Ostensibly, getting married in a posh London venue is far more important for the family than for the mother of the groom to be at the wedding!! Why not simply get married in Lahore?"

Governor Sindh Imran Ismail said the PML-N leaders were exposed now, as their houses, treatment, money, and businesses were in foreign lands.

The wedding of Maryam's son, Junaid Safdar, has been fixed with former politician Saif-ur-Rehman's daughter, Aisha Saif — which will take place in London. The nikkah ceremony will take place on August 22.

Geo News' correspondent Saeed Niazi said preparations for the wedding have begun and the family has started sending invitation cards to relatives and acquaintances.

He further said that even if Maryam and Safdar get permission to travel to London, they will have to stay quarantined for 10 days since Pakistan is on the red list of countries.

Geo News' correspondent Murtaza Ali Shah also shared that Saifur Rahman’s family is scheduled to arrive in London from Qatar within two days.

He said that out of 100, 30 guests will be from Saifur Rehman’s family. “Close family friends and London-based PML-N leaders will be invited by the Sharif family,” he added.

The event is being held at The Lanesborough, a five-star hotel in London’s Hyde Park Corner.