‘They’ want me out for good

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said that following his disqualification as premier and then the PML-N president, now his life-time ouster from politics was being planned.

He quipped that after snatching everything from him, now he might be deprived of his name as well. “My name is Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. Try to find any article in the Constitution to deprive me of my name,” the former premier said while talking to media persons here. Nawaz Sharif said that ‘black law’ dictionary was used for the July 28 verdict against him and his disqualification as the PML-N president was continuation of the same decision. He said if they could not find any article to deprive him of his name, then they could search for any black law for this purpose.

The former premier was of the view that the Election Act, 2017 was not person-specific, but all decisions of the Supreme Court revolve around personality. “The decisions are based on victimisation, anger and spite,” he said.

He said the Election Act for the first time was made by the Zulifikar Ali Bhutto government which was changed during the Musharraf era.

"In 2014, all the political parties were behind reviving this law. How can it be person-specific," he wondered, adding that the Supreme Court's decisions, however, are "Nawaz Sharif and person-specific".

He pointed out that there was no Article in the Constitution which provided for disqualification of a politician for not receiving salary from his son. “Yesterday’s verdict is also based on the decision of disqualification for not receiving salary from my son,” he regretted.

He observed that firstly the government and the executive were paralysed and then powers of legislation were also taken away from the Parliament.

Meanwhile, addressing party activists at the Punjab House, Nawaz Sharif reminded that the so-called guardian of the Constitution never stood-by the esteemed document whenever dictators usurped democracy and even suspended the rule of law and Constitution in the country. “Such people protected the dictators and criminally abated with them to mutilate the historic document of 1973,” Nawaz said.

He announced that his politics is about strengthening of Pakistan and prosperity of its people. “I will keep striving for the ideals as no gimmickry could stop me serving the country and people,” he said.

Maryam Nawaz, Governor Punjab Malik Rafiq Rajwana and a number of federal ministers were also present with him on the occasion. The crowd was unprecedented at the picturesque Punjab House situated in the lap of Margalla Hills as he came to Islamabad for the first time after ouster from the party office by the apex court.

The administration had to face great difficulty in controlling the emotional party workers. Nawaz Sharif first came to the roof top of the Punjab House and waved towards the workers. Later, he addressed them from the balcony of the main passage hall.

Nawaz Sharif said that the amount of affection and love shown by the people is greater than any office. He assured the workers that he would fight for the people’s rights and country as nothing could deter him.

Nawaz Sharif was declared by the workers of the party Quaid and super president of the party. Nawaz regretted that the administration has been crippled as injunction orders are made on petty actions even. “A clerk can’t be transferred as stay order comes for him in no time,” he said.

Nawaz Sharif asked the workers to straighten their lines and ranks for the next polls. “We have been fighting against the odds in the past and turned victorious. This time again the PML-N will win and defeat the forces of status quo,” he vowed.

The former prime minister said that his movement for restoration of justice will be crowned with great success much before the expectations.

Nawaz later had extensive informal consultations and discussions with the leaders and senior workers of the party. He looked confident and relaxed and shared some jokes with the fellow workers and leaders of the party. Interestingly, in day long talks and discussions little reference came about political opponents of the PML-N. “I am Nawaz and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and Mian Teray Jan Nisar Baishumar-Baishumar,” were the popular slogans of the day and the workers kept chanting them throughout.