Go to India if you like it so much: Maryam Nawaz to Pak PM Imran Khan
Islamabad/Lahore, Apr 9: Pakistan's Opposition leader Maryam Nawaz on Saturday lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan for lavishing praise on India, saying he should go to the neighbouring country if he likes it so much.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam, who is the daughter of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, also suggested that Khan should emulate the example of India where no prime minister has abrogated the Constitution while facing a no-confidence motion.
Her remarks came after Khan called India a "nation with a great sense of honour".
Prime Minister Khan, in an address to the nation on Friday night ahead of the no-trust motion where he has little chances of surviving unless some miracle takes place, said that he was not against India and had a huge following in the neighbouring country.
"No superpower can force India to do anything against its interests. They (India) are buying oil from Russia despite sanctions.
"Nobody can dictate terms to India which is a sovereign nation. Both countries got freedom at the same time. What the European Union ambassadors said here, could they say that to India also? he asked and added that they could not because India is a sovereign nation.
Responding to his remarks, Maryam said that Khan has gone mad.
"Imran is praising India. He should also follow it on no-trust move. Some 27 no-confidence motions were tabled against different prime ministers of India. No one has played with the Constitution, democracy and ethics like him (Khan). Vajpayee lost the no trust move by one vote and went home but he did not take the Constitution, nation and country hostage like Khan," she said in a series of tweets on Saturday.
"Someone should tell a person who has gone mad after seeing this power gone that he has been expelled by his own party and no one else. If you like India so much then shift there and leave the life of Pakistan, the 48-year-old PML-N leader said.
Maryam tore into Khan, saying he should not be treated as the prime minister anymore.
"One person who is not in his senses anymore cannot be allowed to wreak havoc & bring the entire country down. This is not a joke. He should not be treated as PM or ex PM, he must be treated as a PSYCHOPATH who just to save his own skin is holding the entire country hostage. Shame," she said in a tweet.
"A maniac's fear of having to face the music has brought the entire country to a grinding halt & a complete standstill. The country of 22 crore is without a government for weeks now. This blatant violation of constitution and disregard to SC orders will be ugly & end badly," she said.
This is not the first time when Prime Minister Khan has praised India to the surprise of Opposition parties.
Last week, he praised India for its independent foreign policy.
"They protect their independent foreign policy which is centred on its people," he had said.
The 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, who has effectively lost the majority in the 342-member house, seemed to accept the writing on the wall and urged his supporters to stage peaceful protests across the country when the "new imported government" comes into power on Sunday.
Khan faces the possibility of being the first premier in the country's history to be voted out in a no-trust motion.
No Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has completed its initial talks for the formation of a new government once Prime Minister Khan is ousted. Plans are afoot for the removal of President Alvi and the return of deposed premier Nawaz Sharif from the UK, The Express Tribune newspaper reported on Friday.
Shehbaz, 70, who is the Opposition's candidate for the new prime minister, will announce his possible government priorities after taking the oath.
All Opposition parties will be given proportional representation in the new possible federal government.
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Misuse of power, money to control election mechanism seen during Maharashtra polls: Sharad Pawar
Pune (PTI): NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday claimed the misuse of power and money to control the entire election mechanism, which was never before seen in any state assembly or national polls, was witnessed in Maharashtra.
Pawar made the statement when he visited senior activist Dr Baba Adhav, who is protesting against the alleged "misuse of EVMs" in the recent state polls in Maharashtra.
Adhav, who is in his 90s, began his three-day protest at Phule Wada, the residence of social reformer Jyotiba Phule, in the city on Thursday.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies, the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), have been alleging manipulation of EVMs in the recently held Maharashtra Assembly elections, which saw a landslide victory by the Mahayuti.
The Mahayuti, comprising the Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP, won 230 out of 288 assembly seats in the November 20 polls, while the MVA managed just 46 seats.Talking to reporters, Pawar said elections were conducted recently in the country, and there is a restlessness among the people about these.
Baba Adhav's agitation represents this restlessness, he said.
He said, "There is a murmur among the people that the recent polls in Maharashtra saw 'misuse of power' and 'floods of money', which was never seen in the past. Such things are heard of in local-level polls, but taking over the entire election mechanism with the help of money and misuse of power was not seen before. However, we witnessed it in Maharashtra, and people are restless now."
He added that people were recalling late socialist ideologue Jaiprakash Narayan and felt somebody should take a step forward.
"I heard Baba Adhav has taken a lead into this issue and is agitating at Phule Wada. His protest gives hope to the people, but it is not enough. A mass revolt is necessary, as the danger of the parliamentary democracy getting destroyed looms," Pawar said.
The former Union minister said those who have reins of the country in their hands are least bothered about this.
"Despite widespread discussion over it (alleged misuse of EVMs) in the country, whenever the opposition tries to raise the issue in the Parliament, they are not allowed to speak. Opposition leaders have been seeking an opportunity to speak on these issues for six days, but their demands have not been accepted even once. It shows they want to attack parliamentary democracy," he claimed.
He said Dr Adhav's protest is a fine example of someone revolting against the issue and expressed confidence that his protest will create a ripple effect.
