Nawaz returning to develop country, not to take revenge: Shehbaz

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif said here on Wednesday that former premier and PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif was not coming to Pakistan to take revenge but to develop the country and make it prosperous again.

In his first public appearance in his constituency NA-132, mostly comprising suburbs and rural areas of the provincial capital around Ferozpur Road and Kahna, the former premier was warmly welcomed by the party workers when he reached Manwwar Bhatti’s camp in Balhar village. His car was showered with rose-petals and horse dance on drum beats was arranged at the venue. PMLN workers chanted slogans for Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and the PMLN.

Addressing the rally, Shehbaz said Nawaz Sharif ended load-shedding in the country, rejected an offer of $5 billion and carried out nuclear explosions to make the country’s defence impregnable. He said unprecedented rigging was done in the 2018 elections to bring a favourite person to power. Now Nawaz Sharif was coming back to start the journey of development from where it was stopped. Shehbaz asked the people to promise to give Nawaz Sharif the biggest welcome in history on October 21.

PMLN senior leader Hamza Shehbaz also addressed the rally. He said Pakistan needed a messiah, who would put the country’s economy on the right track. He said that messiah was Nawaz Sharif. He urged the public to reach Minar-e-Pakistan grounds to welcome their leader. He said Lahore was and would always remain the stronghold of PMLN.

Shehbaz Sharif also visited two more reception camps in the area and delivered short speeches. He thanked the workers for welcoming him warmly. “Cases were made against me and my family and leaders of our party and they all were sent to jails. I was accused of taking 45 per cent commission from China. Now, if there was even an iota of truth in the allegations, I would have been in jail,” he said.

The PTI government violated an agreement with the IMF, Shehbaz said adding had Pakistan gone bankrupt, there would have been no medicines, no flour and no sugar in the country.

Later, he chaired a meeting of party’s coordinators of the respective constituency and reviewed the welcome preparations.

Online adds: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz leader Khawaja Saad Rafiq said on Wednesday that “we will not take revenge from anyone and talk to all political parties including PTI after coming to power”.

Addressing party workers during his visit to Talagang, he said: “We will take all parties along after achieving success under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, because talks with all political parties is must for taking Pakistan forward.”

The former federal minister said: “October 21 is not merely a day of return of Nawaz Sharif but also a day of changing the country’s fate.” He said those who committed injustices with the country had been exposed.

“The way some former generals, former judges and journalists promoted and made a non-serious and inexperienced person saviour of the country caused an irreparable loss to Pakistan,” he claimed.

People should elect Nawaz Sharif to power so that the PMLN could take independent decisions, he added.

Meanwhile, former federal minister and Secretary-General of PMLN Ahsan Iqbal stressed the importance of experience in leadership, asserting that Pakistan needs an experienced statesman like Nawaz Sharif.

Speaking at a press conference in Lahore on Wednesday, he highlighted Nawaz Sharif’s seniority in Pakistani politics, saying that his return would bring an end to power outages, kickstart the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and attract investments to Pakistan.

Ahsan Iqbal praised Nawaz Sharif’s past tenure, saying that during his four years in office, inflation, power shortages and terrorism were effectively curbed. He also highlighted the establishment of strong diplomatic ties with China, Russia and the European Union.

According to him, Nawaz Sharif doesn’t just offer words but a concrete plan of action for Pakistan’s future. He claimed that India and other countries had prospered by adopting policies introduced by Nawaz Sharif in the 1990s, yet these policies were obstructed within Pakistan.

He criticised Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification, attributing it to a conspiracy involving the use of an Iqama. He lamented the current state of the country, which he believes stems from this conspiracy.

Former federal minister Ahsan Iqbal also lambasted the Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf government for its stance on the IMF agreement. He argued that the PTI leadership had disregarded concerns raised by the PMLN about the agreement’s impact on the economy, leading to severe inflation.

He hoped if the PMLN prevails in the 2024 elections, it will alleviate inflation and usher in a new era of hope and prosperity for Pakistan under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif. He acknowledged Pakistan’s substantial debt obligations in the next three years, saying that all institutions must function honestly and within the bounds of the Constitution to address this challenge.

He asserted that the PMLN, if in power, would work towards freeing Pakistan from foreign aid, as it did in 2017 when it had successfully tackled inflation, power shortages, unemployment, and terrorism.

In response to a question, Ahsan expressed the confidence that Nawaz Sharif’s global standing would facilitate increased cooperation with friendly nations and ensure Pakistan’s economic recovery.