• CM Maryam says PTI’s tenure was marred with corruption.
• Adds Imran-founded party brought country on brink of default.
• “Economy now ready to take off despite PTI’s disaster.”

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz launched another diatribe against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Tuesday, saying that good news was coming from every corner of the country, except Adiala jail, where PTI founder Imran Khan is incarcerated.

“Good news is coming from every corner of the country…only bad news is coming from Adiala Jail,” Maryam said while addressing the first public gathering in Narowal since assuming the chief minister’s office.

She also took a dig at Imran’s letter-writing spree to Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, saying that he was “pleading to be saved”.

The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, who has been behind bars since August 2023, penned three “open letters” to the army chief in recent weeks, which he claimed were written “because all democratic avenues had been obstructed”.

In earlier letters, Imran pointed out what he claimed was a growing distance between the military and the public. In his letters, the former premier penned six points and urged the army to reevaluate its policy to win over the public with reasons and suggestions proposed by Imran to remedy the situation.

However, COAS Munir denied receiving a letter from the PTI founder, stating that even if he did receive it, he wouldn’t bother reading it.

In an informal chat with journalists at a reception hosted by the prime minister in honour of Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, General Munir denied claims made by PTI leadership that Imran Khan wrote letters to him.

COAS Munir categorically denied receiving any letter, stating he wouldn’t bother reading it even if it arrived. Instead, he said, he would promptly forward it to the prime minister.

Addressing the public gathering today, the provincial chief executive said that the PTI’s tenure was marred with corruption with Bushra Bibi and Farah Gogi “receiving bribe money for every single task”.

“They brought the country to the brink of default, but by the grace of God, the economy is now ready to take off,” she said, adding that the PTI worsened the situation with intentions that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would not be able to handle it.

Further criticising the PTI, Maryam said that the inflation increased during Imran’s tenure while the country’s relations with “friendly nations” were damaged.

Later, she highlighted her government’s achievements during the past year, including building roads, initiating a cleanliness programme, Kissan Card, Himmat Card, Minority Card, and scholarships for students.  

Maryam further said that she revamped around 2,500 Basic Health Units (BHUs) in Punjab, adding that the people of Punjab were now getting medicines at their doorsteps.

A day earlier, CM Maryam said the country was in a position to “take off” despite the opposition’s outcry, castigating PTI “for its politics of chaos and destroying the country’s economy”.

She said someone claimed that the nation could not prosper by building roads in an apparent reference to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan. “If building roads does not bring development, can sieges and arson bring development?” she asked.

“It is very easy to accuse someone and throw insults,” she said, adding that the time quickly changed and that person was locked up in Adiala jail — a reference to the PTI founder.