PML-N's Maryam Sharif accuses Imran Khan's facilitators in SC of 'murdering justice'

Senior Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the daughter of the former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Sharif, joined the protest against the Pakistani Supreme Court on Monday. According to the Pakistani news outlet, The Express Tribune, Sharif joined the sit-in outside the Pakistani Supreme Court. The sit-in was organised by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and Sharif was accompanied by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman.

Maryam Sharif joins protestors

While addressing the crowd outside the Pakistan Supreme Court, Sharif questioned Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial. She said, “A large number of people gathered outside this building today. I ask Umar Ata Bandial sahib whether you are happy to see a sea of people." She further added, “Come, Umar Ata Bandial sahib, have a look at the real nation of Pakistan."They are here to ask you a question.” She accused Supreme Court of imposing Judicial martial law in Pakistan. She said, “Today, when the army is standing with the democracy and Constitution of Pakistan … the fifth martial law in Pakistan … judicial martial law has been imposed from this building,” reported Dawn.

“This building (Supreme Court) before us, it was supposed to be a means of delivering justice to the oppressed, bringing the powerful under the law and strengthening democracy," she added. “But the facilitators […] sitting in this building are murdering justice.”

اس عدالت میں منتخب وزرائے اعظموں کو نکالا گیا، گاڈ فادر کہا گیا اور ساٹھ ارب کی چوری کرنے والے کو کہا گیا ویلکوم ویلکوم، آپ کو دیکھ کر بہت خوشی ہوئی pic.twitter.com/5p9xF60dGz

— Rashid Nasrullah (@RashidNasrulah)

Earlier this month, Maryam Sharif expressed her discontent over the Supreme Court’s decision to call the arrest of Khan “null and void”. She even went on to attack Chief Justice Bandial in an aggressive tweet. “The Chief Justice was very happy today to meet the incident of 60 billion of national exchequer and he was even more happy to release this criminal. The Chief Justice is the most responsible for the attacks on the most important and sensitive facilities of the country, who has become the shield of a fitnah and is pouring fuel on the fire in the country,” Sharif wrote on Twitter. She then went on to suggest the Pak Chief Justice should join politics. “You should leave the post of Chief Justice and join Tehreek-e-Insaf like your mother-in-law,” she added.

The current ruling alliance announced to stage a sit-in outside the court building on Monday. According to The Express Tribune, the protest is described by the alliance as a demonstration against the judiciary’s preferential treatment of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan. On May 9, the former Pakistani Prime Minister was arrested outside the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust Case. 72 hours after the arrest and the riot-like situation that followed, the Pakistan Supreme Court declared the protest as “null and void”. Following this Khan also received a bail in the Islamabad High Court and drove to Lahore. However, the decision was not accepted by both PML-N and PDM. 

ایک بار انکو بھی ہاتھ ہلا کر کہ دیں کے"آپ کو دیکھ کر خوشی ہوئی ہے"

یہ آپ ہی سے ملنے آئے ہیں✌️#عدل_بحال_کرانا_ہے pic.twitter.com/WUnGnk3Mk5

— PMLN (@pmln_org)

Three stages were set up in front of the Supreme Court

According to The Express Tribune, three stages have been set up in front of the Supreme Court for the sit-in. In the midst of the sit-in, more violence between UI-F volunteers and workers was also reported at the site. The protesters also burned the pictures of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) and Imran Khan. As per the Pakistani news outlet, the pictures were majorly burnt by the workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Following the whole ordeal, reports also emerged that the convoy of the PPP left for Islamabad under the leadership of Divisional Vice President Rana Raffakat. Meanwhile, the Islamabad Police urged the protestors to remain peaceful as they gave out the warning of prospective terrorist activity In the Pakistani city.