Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb has been one of the most prominent faces of the party, a diehard party loyalist as well as a close aide and confidant of party’s Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif. She has never shied away from calling a spade a spade. Her confidence and ability to knock out her opponents in the political arena makes her an ultimate choice for the position of the party’s spokesperson. This week Bol News had the privilege to speak exclusively to Aurangzeb, who had also served as federal information minister. In the interview we spoke to her about the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), rising inflation and other burning national and political issues.

What are your thoughts about the rising inflation in the country and the contrasting tweet of Federal Information Minister Fawad Chauhdry claiming a decrease in the prices of some food items?

MA: Well, people are committing suicides due to rising inflation as they couldn’t make ends meet but Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry is busy ridiculing the poor masses of this country. I want to warn him not to make fun of the people of Pakistan suffering under poverty and helplessness during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government’s disastrous rule.

He should pay heed to the screams, curses, desperate cries and demands of the masses instead of making fun of their miseries. Let me be very clear that his tweets are not going to turn around the lives of poor masses or in other words his tweets will not ensure the provision of  affordable flour, sugar, electricity, gas and vegetables to the poor masses of the country.

My advice to Chaudhry and other ministers will be to learn how to keep their mouths shut if they cannot do anything to make the lives of people better and mitigate the miseries they are facing. One thing I always failed to understand is why PTI ministers torture the general public of this country with never ending lies, and humiliating, deriding and ridiculous comments. Let me put it straight there’s only one way to end this flour, sugar, electricity, gas and medicine crisis: the departure of the Prime Minister Imran Khan mafia.

If Chaudhry is that worried about the poor masses he should gather the courage to call a spade a spade and ask PM Khan to leave the office of the prime minister and spare Pakistan and its masses. It is strange that despite the fact that the Prime Minister is the Chief Executive of this country and that its his ultimate duty to address the problems faced by the general public of the country, bring the country out of crises, as well as mitigate the problems and hardships faced by the general public but unfortunately Khan has turned a deaf ear to the cries of every section of the society that was out on the streets to protest his tyrannical and murderous rule.

You name it whether its traders, teachers, doctors, students or businessmen, all of them are on the streets while the so-called PM acts as if they don’t exist unlike former PM Nawaz Sharif who was always with the masses through thick and thin and in every crisis.  Unfortunately, the Imran Khan Mafia Private Limited Company wants corruption to keep happening under their patronage and no one exposes them.

They want to ruin the economy by robbing the citizens in the name of sugar, flour and other utilities and no one raises questions or speaks against them.

Recently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued the NA-75 Daska by-polls inquiry report and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif also wrote a letter in light of that to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, and called on the ECP to make changes in its rules to ensure that the illegalities that occurred in the NA-75 Daska by-poll do not happen again. What is your take on this?

MA: I believe that the ECP must take action against the PM Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar as well as every individual involved in the NA-75 Daska by-polls rigging in the light of the two fact-finding reports released by ECP on the NA-75 by-polls. But I have one question in mind: why was the report somewhat incomplete and shied away from clearly pining responsibility of the heinous crime of poll rigging on the actual criminals?

The report has clearly exposed without a shred of doubt that PM Khan, who is himself a product of general elections rigging, also stole the Daska by-poll. I believe that it is about time that he should be punished as per the law without any exception and it is the need of the hour that this report is immediately implemented in true letter and spirit, making sure that no one is spared under any pretext. PML-N’s stance has been proven that PM Khan and CM Buzdar are responsible for abducting election staff and stealing ballot bags.

Let me share that the inquiry report depicted that the Buzdar, federal ministers and other government officials were involved in organised and systematic rigging at the behest of none other than the Premier.

So, in light of this I strongly believe that they must be punished under the law and a precedent is set in this country once and for all so that nobody dares to commit such blatant and heinous desecration of the public vote. The action against subservient staff would be a useless activity and meaningless if those who issued those orders are allowed to roam scot-free.

In this scenario I strongly believe that justice will not be delivered until and unless a comprehensive action is taken.

An audio clip of former Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar was leaked on November 21 in that where Justice Nisar could allegedly be heard saying t that due to alleged institutions that dictate judgements, Nawaz Sharif would be punished and PM Imran Khan would brought in, while adding that Maryam Nawaz does not merit a sentence and that there would be no independence of the judiciary.

What is your opinion about this alleged audio clip which is termed as fabricated or doctored by the former CJP and former CJ Gilgit Baltistan Rana Shamim?

MA: We have a very clear-cut and straight forward demand and point of view on this that former CJP Justice Saqib Nisar and his accomplices should be booked for treason. As far as PML-N’s supremo Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz’s sentences are concerned, they have no legal or judicial grounds after the audio clip of the former CJP Saqib Nisar has surfaced. Former CJP Nisar and all his accomplices in this great conspiracy should be booked under treason on war footings as this would be the biggest test case for the judicial system of this country.

On November 30, FM Fawad Chauhdry, while briefing the media after a Federal Cabinet meeting, had warned the ECP of the likelihood of the government being unable to fund the upcoming elections if held sans the EVMs. How do you see this?

MA: First thing first, the next general election will not be held in Pakistan using EVMs. As far as Chauhdry’s comment is concerned he is right because when PM Khan would have fled the country  before the elections than how he would pay for it? Khan will have nothing to do with the next general elections as flour, sugar, electricity, gas and medicine thieves belonging to the ‘Imran Mafia’ will also flee the country.

PM Khan and his accomplices need to learn that elections and electoral reforms are not carried out with bullying, fascism, and an undemocratic and dictatorial attitude. Funds are to be given by the Parliament as the funds released for national resources and institutions are not Khan’s personal property. Let me tell Imran Khan Niazi that this is not a container where electricity and gas bills are burnt – bullying of Constitutional institutions cannot continue.

EVMs have been rejected by the Parliament, Opposition, the people and the ECP because it is against the Constitution of Pakistan. The bills passed in the Joint Session of the Parliament were never brought in any forum of the Parliament which is against the rules. Electoral reform laws have never been passed like this in the history of the Parliament.

The people who could not manage to get biometrics done in the Ehsaas Corona Relief Fund, the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) or Health Cards, are talking about holding elections using EVM in Pakistan. It is strange and speaks volumes about their incompetence.

Before talking about EVMs they should answer to the masses about Rs1,200 billion in corruption, fraud and theft using the Ehsaas Corona Relief Fund. Unfortunately, the incompetent Premier and his good for nothing ministers had made every national agenda controversial. There is not a single political party in the country that doesn’t want electoral reform, however Imran Khan only wants to steal the next general elections and his way to do it is through EVMs.

PM Khan, who used to cite the examples of the West for its democratic systems and lawful practices, has in fact turned out to be the worst dictator when it comes to the constitutional rights and civil liberties. In reality he is a certified vote-robbing fascist puppet Prime Minister.

What is your opinion about PM Imran Khan’s struggle to construct an Islamic Welfare State based on the principles of the Riyasat-e-Madina?

MA: PM Khan openly lies to the masses of this country every day in the name of religious symbolism of Riyasat-e-Madina (State of Madina) and faith. The Premier needs a reality check about the state of affairs in the country and realise that the general public does not really care about his philosophical lectures and sermons.

Instead what they care about is meeting their basic needs, being able to put a roof over their family’s head and not having to worry about economic inequality. All they really want is for the provision of petrol, sugar, flour, electricity, gas, medicines and other essential commodities at affordable prices. Therefore, I urge the public not to pay any heed to his Riyasat-e-Madina philosophy because after spewing a river of lies, he is simply strategy trying to gloss over his vile politics by bring up the State of Madina and faith to deceive the innocent masses.

Journalist bodies including press clubs and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) have rejected the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority’s (PMDA) Bill and decided to oppose it in every form. How do you see this legislation and are you with the media fraternity? 

MA: Our party is with the media fraternity against this black law. In fact, PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif has pledged to block the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) by standing shoulder to shoulder with the media fraternity. This is a draconian law proposed by the fascist and rejected Imran Khan government, which has been opposed by every section of society.

This imposed government of PM Imran Khan will not be allowed to implement this law at any cost and such black actions by this government will further smudge the already disfigured and tainted face of this fascist government. If this tyrannical government believes that it will manage to win public approval by gagging, censoring and silencing the media, it is severely mistaken.

Unfortunately, the Premier has revived the legacy of dictator General (Rtd) Pervez Musharraf by hindering journalists from performing their lawful professional responsibilities. The PM has become the Musharraf of 2021.