Someone else pulls strings of those who rule you: Maryam Nawaz at Quetta rally

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Sunday slammed the Pakistan Army and said that the time has come to change the fate of Pakistan and Balochistan.

"Those who rule you are not answerable to you but to someone else, someone else [Pakistan Army] pulls their strings," the daughter of former Prime Minister Nawz Sharif addressing the third rally by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) said.

Speaking at Sunday's 11 party anti-government rally at Ayub Stadium in Quetta, Maryam lauded a recent Supreme Court judgement that declared the references filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who hails from Balochistan, were based on "malafide intentions", Dawn reported.

She also urged the courts to give justice to Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, the deposed Islamabad High Court judge, who was removed in 2018 after the Supreme Judicial Council found him guilty of misconduct over a speech he delivered before the Rawalpindi District Bar Association. He was "removed for speaking the truth," Maryam said.

During the rally, Maryam also demanded that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Chairman, retired Lt General Asim Saleem Bajwa, step down from his position. Citing allegations agaisnt him of offshore properties and business, she alleged that Bajwa "toyed with the respect of vote" and interfered in politics during his tenure as an officer in Balochistan, Dawn reported.

Recalling Mohammad Ali Jinnah's speech at Staff College in Quetta, the PML-N leader said that he had stated that policymaking is the job of civilians and the serving officers of the state must abide by their oaths.

"Tell me, has Quaid's instruction been followed?" she asked addressing the crowd.

On the case against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, she said that standing in Balochistan she can't help but remember the contribution of Justice Isa's father Qazi Muhammad Isa - a prominent politician who was among several leaders to have played an important role in the Pakistan movement, The Express Tribune reported.

"A case against this great man's son, who is the only judge from Balochistan among existing Supreme Court judges, was shameful, she said.

While addressing the crowd, she said, "No longer will husbands and brothers go missing, people of Balochistan...The reason you are deprived of food and shelter is that your vote is not respected. Those who rule you are not answerable to you but to someone else, someone else pulls their strings."

She further said, "The students of Balochistan and Punjab are close to my heart."

Donned in a Balochi dress, the PML-N vice president said, "I was asked at the hotel about the message I wanted to give to the people of Balochistan by wearing this dress, and I said that this meant that I do not only stand for the people of Punjab".

"I love the people of Balochistan more than the people of Punjab," she said as her supporters began chanting: "Charon subon ki awaz Maryam Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz (The voice of four provinces Maryam Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz)" and "Vote ko izzat do (give respect to vote)". Maryam Nawaz also expressed solidarity with the Baloch students holding demonstrations in Lahore demanding restoration of thei scholarships at the Bahauddin Zakriya University.

"The children of Balochistan were crying on the streets for the last 12 days [for their scholarships] but no one inquired about their condition," she said.

The Express Tribune reported that she had earlier met them in Lahore on Friday after they arrived at the provincial capital on foot from Multan on Thursday.

This is the third power show of the 11-party opposition alliance PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement). The similar rallies were held in Karachi and Gujranwala.

( With inputs from ANI )