People rejected top court's ousting of Nawaz Sharif, says Maryam

Lahore, Sep 10: Maryam Nawaz, the political heir apparent of Pakistan's ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said that a majority of the people have "outrightly rejected" the Supreme Court's disqualification of her father in the Panama Papers case.

Maryam, 43, made the remarks while addressing a group of lawyers in Model Town here in connection with the election campaign for her mother Kulsoom Nawaz. Kulsoom, who is currently being treated for cancer in London, will contest September 17 by-polls for National Assembly-120 seat that fell vacant after Sharif's disqualification by the Supreme Court on July 28 for concealing assets in his nomination papers for 2013 polls.

Majority of people have "outrightly rejected" the apex court's July 28 ruling against Nawaz Sharif, Maryam was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune. Referring to the recent lawyers' convention held in Lahore, the scion of the ruling party said, "It was indeed a historic event and overwhelming presence of lawyers at the convention has sent a strong message to the entire world, particularly our rivals," the report said.

She said as scores of lawyers attended the gathering, opposition parties had no other option but to claim that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers were provided with black coats for the event.

The apex court disqualified Sharif, 67, from continuing in office for dishonesty and ruled that corruption cases be filed against him and his children over the scandal. Sharif will hold a rally in Abbotabad on September 10, to kick off the second phase of mass contact campaign and mobilise the people to support him, the PML-N said.

PTI