'Game is over' for cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan: Maryam Nawaz
Islamabad (PTI): Maryam Nawaz, Senior Vice President of PML-N party, has told Imran Khan that the "game is over" for the cricketer-turned-politician following an exodus of his party's senior members.
Maryam made these remarks on Friday while addressing a convention in Pakistan's Punjab province. During her address, she also talked about the incidents on May 9 the day on which the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chief Khan was arrested, triggering violent protests countrywide.
Maryam, the 49-year-old daughter of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, told PTI Chairman Khan that the "game is over" following an exodus of his party's senior members.
Over 70 lawyers and leaders from the party have parted ways with the PTI so for following the May 9 mayhem. Top PTI leaders - including the party's Secretary General Asad Umar, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry and former minister for human rights Shireen Mazari - have resigned.
Taking a jibe at the PTI over leaders' mass departure, Maryam said that there were ques of those quitting the party.
The PTI leaders' exodus started when the security forces launched a crackdown against the party following the attacks on the civil and military institutions.
"How will the people stand when the leader himself is a jackal?" she criticised the former prime minister, who was removed from office via a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly in April last year.
"Your people are revealing that Imran Khan, 70, is the mastermind of May 9 (incidents)" she added.
The PML-N senior vice president said that Khan was the mastermind of the May 9 "terrorism" but his workers are facing anti-terrorism court.
She said that Khan took his wife, Bushra Bibi, to court covered with sheets but he used other women as vanguards. Khan and his wife were covered with white sheets as they arrived at the Lahore High Court on May 15 in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Maryam said that the May 9 incident was an "attack on Pakistan Army", adding that the former premier was being assisted by his "facilitators".
On May 9, violent protests erupted after paramilitary Rangers arrested Khan from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises.
His party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander's House, the Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad in response to Khan's arrest.
The mob also stormed the Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi for the first time.
Police put the death toll in violent clashes to 10 while Khan's party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the firing by security personnel.
Thousands of Khan's supporters were arrested following the violence that the powerful Army described as a "dark day" in the history of the country.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
