Those celebrating victimisation could be next in line: Shahbaz

LAHORE: PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the NAB court had no choice but to exonerate Nawaz from all the corruption charges, yet it chose to punish him over assumptions and legally flawed grounds. However, the party supremo was returning for the future of the people of Pakistan, who would pay tributes to their leader with an historic welcome on July 13, he added.

The PML-N president was greeted by thousands of supporters who showered him with flower petals with deafening chants of “Sher”, “Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif” and “Faisla Namanzur (NAB Verdict Rejected)” as he went through Lahore, addressing workers’ conventions. A large number of the suspended local government representatives, Lahore mayor and deputy mayors, UC chairmen and vice-chairmen and others attended the gatherings.

Shahbaz said boycotting elections was not an option or under consideration. “Whoever wins as a result of free, fair and transparent elections would be acceptable to the PML-N,” he added.

He started every gathering with prayers for the martyrs of the Peshawar Bombing.

He said Nawaz would be welcomed by his loving and spirited supporters at all cost. “If they want to arrest me, I’m ready for it.”

“Kalsoom Nawaz is still on the ventilator, Nawaz has been sentenced for 10 years. His return would mean that he might never be able to see his wife again. If he were to think selfishly, he would rather stay back with his wife then who is he coming back for? For himself or for you, the nation!” questioned the PML-N President to which the crowd roared back a “for us”.

“Therefore this brave choice merits that we, the people of this country, will honour this selfless choice with an historic welcome for this son of the soil. We are peaceful people, we would not damage even a single bulb,” urged Shahbaz.

He said even the verdict against Nawaz clearly stated that the NAB could not prove a penny worth of corruption against the PML-N supremo and therefore had in essence declared Nawaz as Sadiq and Ameen.

“This punishment had been handed to Nawaz only on the basis of assumptions as even the ownership of the flats could not be proven as Nawaz’s,” he added.

“There are cases of even former prime ministers pending in these NAB courts for years but somehow the laws of transparency don’t apply to them, the people of Pakistan have overwhelmingly rejected this controversial decision and victimisation in the name of accountability,” he said.

“The PML-N is going to win the elections despite all negative tactics being employed against it. Those celebrating the victimisation of PML-N should be aware that they could be next in line. Who was summoned by the courts over corruption of billions by PTI, while the PML-N leaders had been singled out and summoned every day to sabotage the campaign. Imran Khan does not understand that he could face even worse in the coming days,” said Shehbaz on his campaign through various constituencies of Lahore.

The PML-N president stopped to address enthusiastic large crowds at Shahdara Chowk where he was received by the ticket holder Malik Riaz and Samiullah Khan, at Taxali Chowk where Bilal Yasin received him, MAO College where Mian Marghoob accompanied him on stage, Shah Fareed Chowk Sabzazar where Mehr Ishtiaq flanked him and at Kareem Market Iqbal Town.

Addressing the charged crowd and suspended local government representatives, he said the Peshawar bombing was a horrendous act and that the sacrifices laid by their martyrs for democracy will not go to waste.

Shahbaz encouraged the suspended representatives by saying that on the July 25 they would be restored while those who tried to influence the elections by suspending them would be suspended for life.

He said, “Just imagine if a compulsive liar is allowed to represent the entire country, what irreparable damage would that do to the country. The pathological liar even lied about producing 72 megawatts of electricity, while the PML-N government of the people installed 11,000 megawatts for the country.”

He said that not only was the power crisis cut in record time, but these projects set new records of transparency in the 71 year history of the country. The next target in the coming government would be to cut the cost of electricity for the people, he added.

He spurred the already animated crowd to avenge the victimisation of their leader and degrading allegations on Lahore’s development by handing a smashing defeat to PTI on the July 25.

He bashed the PTI chief for deserting the people at all times of need, even at the time when people were dying with dengue. “I, your humble servant, was with you, day and night, in the hospitals, on the roads and in meeting rooms, doing everything and more, to disband the Dengue fever from our province forever, and you all were a witness to it, are you not?,” Shahbaz asked the people who responded in affirmative.

“Of course Imran called us ‘Dengue Brothers’ because for him this is all a joke, he has no sympathy or ability for the suffering of the people,” he added.