Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice President Maryam Nawaz accused PTI chief Imran Khan of trying to create obstacles in the appointment of the next army chief.

Addressing a press conference in London, Maryam said that the appointment of the next army chief will take place in accordance with the rules. “Imran Khan has nothing to do with the appointment of the next army chief.”

The tenure of the incumbent General Qamar Javed Bajwa will end on November 29, with rivals accusing Imran Khan of politicising the appointment of the next army chief.

Potshots at Imran

The PML-N leader also lashed out at PTI’s protest march to Islamabad, saying there were more security personnel at the march than participants. “Why is so much money being spent on security arrangements? This is yet another Imran-hatched conspiracy that has been unmasked.”

Citing the issue of the cipher, she accused Imran of using lies to compromise national security.

In dozens of public appearances and press conferences, Imran claimed that a foreign-sponsored conspiracy resulted in his ouster in April’s no-confidence vote. He supported this claim by waving a document which he claimed was a cipher sent by a US official to the Pakistani ambassador in the US.

“His lies forced the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence to discredit Imran’s lies,” said Maryam, referring to the unprecedented press conference by the country’s spymaster, Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum alongside military spokesperson Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar.

“He begs at your feet at night and then grabs your neck in the morning,” she said, referring to the spymaster’s remark about Imran Khan in the same press conference. “But the truth about the late-night meetings has now been exposed.”

While talking publically about defamation suit against the chief election commissioner, Imran offered indefinite extension behind closed doors, she continued.

“Judges in courts repeatedly asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for evidence, but the corruption watchdog’s prosecutor continued to be evasive. “Imran will believe anything he is handed over on a chit. But courts need proof.”

She said that Imran had also claimed that Establishment had told him of Nawaz Sharif’s corruption. “But later he was proven innocent.”

Maryam said Imran should apologize to Nawaz Sharif for the false allegations. “But instead of apologizing, he talks about NRO (legal pardon),” she continued.

“Despite getting Nawaz Sharif imprisoned, he could not win. That’s why he had the RTS (result transmission system) shut down.

It warrants mention here that the RTS system crashed during the last general elections, with both the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Imran’s rivals have repeatedly insinuated that the country’s intelligence agencies engineered the failure to get Imran elected. This is also the reason Imran’s rival use the moniker ‘ladla’ or ‘blue-eyed boy’ for him.

‘Massive Scandal’

In her media talk today, Maryam said that another major scandal of the PTI chief was going to hit the news soon.

“He took precious jewelery from the Toshakhana and sold it. He bought jewelery worth Rs20 million and sold it for Rs220 million,” she said. “So far, Imran Khan has stolen Rs500 million from the Tosha Khana.”

The ECP recently disqualified Imran Khan from holding public office till the next election for unlawfully selling state gifts and concealing assets.

Maryam Nawaz said that the Establishment’s decision confine itself to its constitutional role and not to interfere in politics was something that Nawaz Sharif already stood for. “Imran Khan has fallen flat on his face. Nawaz Sharif has defeated Imran Khan on every front including public mandate.”