Marriyum Aurangzeb, the spokesperson for the PML-N, accused an individual of orchestrating the May 9 violence and being the mastermind behind terrorist activities by filing fabricated terrorism cases against others. She claimed that the person, who labeled others as thieves, had himself committed a robbery of 190 million pounds from the national exchequer, the largest in Pakistan’s history. Marriyum, appearing before an anti-terrorism court for an alleged provocative speech, highlighted the case where a sealed envelope was presented to the federal cabinet for approval to transfer the substantial amount.

She criticized the PTI’s former chairman, alleging the misuse of office for personal gain and emphasizing that the issue of the cipher was exploited for political motives. Marriyum accused the PTI of being involved in criminal activities while creating distractions. She also expressed confidence in Nawaz Sharif, stating that he would assume office for a record fourth term, despite facing what she described as bogus cases. Marriyum referred to the Islamabad High Court’s clarification that Nawaz Sharif wasn’t involved in corruption.

In a separate development, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore lifted non-bailable arrest warrants issued against Marriyum Aurangzeb in a terror case from 2022. The warrants were issued due to her repeated absence from hearings. The case, registered against Aurangzeb and PML-N leader Javed Latif, accused them of using religion to spread hatred against PTI chief Imran Khan when PTI’s Parvez Elahi was the chief minister.