Maryam Responds to PPP’s Call for Equal Playing Field, Highlights Nawaz Sharif’s Struggles

The exchange between the PML-N and PPP sets the stage for intense political competition in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.

As the political landscape gears up for the upcoming 2024 elections in Pakistan, Maryam Nawaz, Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has countered the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) demand for a level playing field. Maryam expressed her concerns about the challenges her father, Nawaz Sharif, faced over the years.

Addressing a youth convention in Gujrat, Maryam remarked, “If you want a level playing field like Nawaz Sharif, then you should see what level playing field he has been given [over time].” She alluded to Nawaz Sharif’s years in exile and prison, emphasizing the hardships he endured.

The PPP, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has actively advocated for equal opportunities for all political parties in the election race. The party alleges that the caretaker government and the courts are favoring Nawaz Sharif, citing reliefs in legal cases since his return to Pakistan after a four-year exile.

Maryam highlighted Nawaz Sharif’s limited chances to contest elections, stating that he had been given the opportunity only once in 22 years. She emotionally recalled the PML-N’s rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on October 21, celebrating Nawaz Sharif’s return, which defied predictions that his political career had ended.

Addressing the legal and political challenges faced by the PML-N, Maryam emphasized the difficulty of Nawaz Sharif’s political journey, including 11 years in exile and ongoing court battles with “false cases.”

Firing a verbal shot at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan, Maryam remarked on his imprisonment, stating that lies led to his downfall. Without naming Imran directly, she contrasted Nawaz Sharif’s three terms as prime minister with the alleged misdeeds of his political rivals.

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Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto, speaking at a rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, criticized Nawaz Sharif’s aspirations for a fourth term, questioning the legitimacy of previous victories. Bilawal declared that if another “selection” occurred, he and the nation would not accept the election results. The exchange between the PML-N and PPP sets the stage for intense political competition in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.