Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said on Friday that Al-Qadir University was now under her control following the verdict in the ₹190 million Al-Qadir Trust case sterling.
Speaking at a ceremony in Okara, the Punjab Chief Minister also announced that scholarships would be provided to students of Al-Qadir University, reinforcing her commitment to improving education in the region.
Maryam Nawaz said the university would now be part of the government’s initiatives, with emphasis on providing scholarships to meritorious students.
“The country needs unity, not hatred; it needs peace, not unrest,” she said, reflecting on the current political climate. She also criticized previous leaders for fueling violence and unrest, saying: “Young people were encouraged to attack the police force and blindly believe everything they saw on social media.”
Maryam also highlighted the political persecution her family faced, mentioning that her father, Nawaz Sharif, served the country for 45 years but was ousted over an alleged corruption charge related to an iqama (residence permit). “I was punished for supporting my father,” she said.
“Imran Khan is the first prime minister to be caught committing corruption,” Maryam added.
Reflecting on her own time in prison, Maryam Nawaz noted that, unlike Imran Khan’s current situation, she and her father had faced difficult conditions. “When I was in prison, I had cameras installed in my cell and I only had one meal a day. It’s good that my weight has gone down,” she remarked.
The comments follow a court ruling in a £190 million case, in which former Prime Minister Imran Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 7 years.
