ISLAMABAD: PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday said it was better to quit the government than burden people with more inflation, which she underlined, was compounded by the previous Imran Khan-led government in the last four years.

Addressing a rally in Sargodha, Maryam said it was easy for Nawaz to "prostrate before the IMF and consent" to withdrawal of subsidies that would lead to another round of sharp inflation, but "he (Nawaz) prefers to relinquish the charge rather than burden people with a further price hike."

"I am with you," she told her supporters. "I believe it's better to say goodbye to the government than" bury the public under more inflation.

She asked the rally participants whether they would give her party a two-third majority to fix the problems faced by the country in the next five years. To this, her supporters responded in the affirmative.

Maryam said the government was being asked why it chose to come to power for "only a month or so". "We assumed the charge because Imran was prepared to rig the next elections as well. We toppled his government and failed his plan that he had made for the next 12 years," she alleged.

Imran must realise that his game is now over, the PML-N leader said.

She also took exception to Imran's linking of chicken meat price hike to Hamza Shehbaz's poultry farms, saying "the prices of chicken actually surged when tons of chicken meat was burnt on the roof of his Bani Gala residence."

Maryam branded Imran a "snake", accusing him of biting the hand that fed him.

She hailed the Supreme Court's setting aside of former deputy speaker Qasim Suri's ruling "a historic decision" and said that it "protected the Constitution". "Since that day, he (Imran) is running a campaign against the top court on social media and cursing them."

However, she said that now that the apex court has taken a suo motu notice, Imran was now heaping praise on the courts. She was referring to the notice taken by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on the "perceived interference" by "persons in authority" in investigation and prosecution of criminal matters against government officials.

"I am thankful to the court for taking the notice against Shehbaz Sharif. But, one suo motu notice should also be taken on serious allegations levelled by ex-FIA head Bashir Memon," she appealed the court.

Maryam went on to say that a couple of suo motu notices must also be taken against former accountability head Shehzad Akbar as well as the foreign funding case against the PTI that has been pending for seven years.

Commenting on Imran's statement wherein he said families of army personnel would also attend his planned Islamabad march, Maryam wondered if the invitation was issued so "they have to listen to his swearing against their chief".

The PML-N leader accused Imran of also abusing the media, whom she credited for "making him what he is today".

"He is criticising media channels except ARY News, which attacks state institutions because his close friend — ARY owner Salman Iqbal — is a gold smuggler... and Imran gave him a benefit of up to Rs 40 billion [while in power], and therefore, both of them are protecting each other," she claimed.

Maryam said Pakistan can never progress until Imran was present in the country.