PML-N being pushed to the wall: Shahbaz

MULTAN: Pakistan Muslim League-N President Shahbaz Sharif Sunday said Hanif Abbasi was leading with 70,000 votes against Sheikh Rashid and that was why he was given a life term.

Addressing an election meeting in NA-157 Multan-VI in Mauza Kayanpur, he said the PML-N was being pushed to the wall in Election 2018.

He said the PML-N was being discriminated against ahead of elections, as its leaders were being dragged to the courts or put behind the bars. On the other hand, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was being facilitated and given relief in all cases against Asif Ali Zardari. The orders for placing him and his sister on the exit control list (ECL) had been turned down until elections, he complained.

He said the PTI and caretaker government in Punjab had joined hands against the PML-N. He warned if the PML-N voters were prevented from going to polling stations, everything would happen which nobody had ever expected.

Shahbaz said the PML-N was organising fully packed public meetings, while Imran Khan was addressing only empty chairs. He said fully packed Multan NA-157 meeting has proved people would give votes to the PML-N on July 25 to get released Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Hanif Abbasi from jail.

He appreciated the Election Commission of Pakistan for postponing election in the constituency of Hanif Abbasi. He said Abbasi’s conviction was announced at midnight, which had no example in the world or the judicial history. He said Hanif Abbasi was the person who promoted sports across the province and he laid down chains of gymnasiums, sports complexes, cricket ground in the province.

Shahbaz Sharif said shameful defeat of Sheikh Rashid was writing on the wall now and he was losing his slot with the margin of 70,000 votes. He said he would visit family members of Hanif Abbasi to express solidarity with them.

Shahbaz said Monday was the last day for election campaign and voters must realise that “a noble daughter has been arrested along with his pious father and both of them put in the jail”.

The PML-N president said he was in Sargodha on Saturday when he received a call from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. He expressed solidarity with the Sharif family and offered his help in the present ordeal. Shahbaz said he thanked him and requested him to pray to God for the early release of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz. The Turkish president also expressed his grief on Mastung and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa terrorism incidents.

Mian Shahbaz Sharif said he would bring Pakistan on a par with Turkey in development and the Turkish president promised all his help in bringing Pakistan out of crises.

Shahbaz said the PML-N government spent Rs27 billion on Khanewal-Lodhran Road, which reduced distance among cities. The PML-N government gifted the people of Multan with the Metro bus service and established a state-of-the-art kidney centre, a general hospital, a trauma centre, and a burns unit.

Shahbaz announced that if the PML-N forms the government after 2018 elections, he would launch Metro project in Bahawalpur also.

Shahbaz Sharif also sought pardon from the people of Multan over the mistakes committed by the PML-N candidates in the past. He promised that he would complete Multan Nishtar Hospital phase II in the shortest period of one year. He also promised establishing a University of Engineering and Technology in Multan.