Let national commission decide who is traitor: Nawaz

BUNER/ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday demanded the formation of a national commission in the light of the recent treason allegations against him, and said the commission should decide that who is a traitor.

Addressing a party rally in Buner, the former prime minister said the guilty party, be it him for treason or those levelling allegations against him, should be publicly hanged following the verdict of the commission.

Nawaz Sharif declared that he would not let anyone disrespect vote. He declared that Pakistan belonged to over 220 million people and it wasn’t the property of certain individuals.

Claiming that the PML-N signified development and prosperity, he urged the people to support him to uphold the rule of law and to block the way of the ‘hidden powers’. He maintained that the people terming him disloyal to the country should face the court of the public.

The former prime minister told the gathering that they would have to support the PML-N in the upcoming general elections if they wanted development, democracy and respect for vote. On the occasion, Nawaz Sharif thanked the people of Buner for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him.

Maryam Nawaz also addressed the meeting and said that the ‘hidden powers’ that were after Nawaz Sharif were now staging a new drama by dubbing him disloyal. She said defiantly that “If Nawaz Sharif is disloyal then who is loyal? Are those loyal who killed and kidnapped thousands of people in the name of terrorism in the country?”

Maryam claimed that it was Nawaz Sharif who made Pakistan a nuclear power and strengthened its defence to turn it invincible. “We will defeat the conspirators with public support,” she vowed.

She recalled that it was Nawaz Sharif who ably pleaded the case of Pakistan in the war against terrorism in his speech at the United Nations. She maintained that the PML-N-led federal government under Nawaz Sharif pulled out the country from darkness due to energy crisis and overcame the issue of electricity loadshedding to a large extent.

Maryam said that Nawaz Sharif took steps to root out terrorism and put back Pakistan on the road to development by launching mega projects for the benefit of the people. She said the PML-N government built motorways, launched metro bus services and was undertaking the projects under the landmark CPEC.

The PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam said the PTI government had failed to serve the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and was unable to fulfil promises made by its leaders during the 2013 election campaign. He pointed out that the education and health sectors in the province were in tatters.

Amir Muqam said that only the PML-N had the ability to develop and change the destiny of the people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier, Nawaz Sharif asked what is wrong with his statement about the Mumbai attacks, urging his critics to read what he has said and see what is unusual or incorrect in it.

Talking to reporters inside the Accountability Court hearing corruption cases against him in Islamabad, Nawaz read out his own statement and said he was not the only one to make such statement. He said previously, General (R) Pervez Musharraf, General (R) Mehmood Durrani, Rehman Malik and Lt Gen (R) Ahmed Shuja Pasha have made such statements.

What I said, “Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai?” I just raised a question regarding the long-pending trial of non-state actors in Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court, and emphasised that this is the reason the world is not ready to buy our narrative. “I have not said anything against national interest,” he insisted.

Nawaz said Pakistan offered many sacrifices in the war against terror. “More than 50,000 civilians and hundreds of Army Jawans have martyred. Despite this, our narrative is not being heard in the world. I just raised this question and the reason they are declaring me a traitor,” he said.

“My government conducted nuclear explosions, we restored peace in the country, we installed electricity and infrastructure projects, brought CPEC to the country and yet we are traitors? I think the patriots are those who broke the country into two, who exploited internal rifts and strife, who abrogated the Constitution, who deposed the judges and who let the May 12 horrific incident happened. I speak the truth and will continue do so taking it as my national, moral and religious obligation disregarding consequences. Not all politicians speak truth,” Nawaz said.

To a question about Indian spy Kalbhushan Jadhav, Nawaz said that he was a spy and he was caught spying in Pakistan. When a question was posed at him that if he is firm on his statement regarding non-state actors, Maryam Nawaz intervened and said, “Then against whom Zarb-e-Azb was fought”.

Outside Accountability Court, Captain (R) Muhammad Safdar said that the statement of Nawaz Sharif was discussed out of context. Meanwhile, Maryam said in a Twitter message: “Whatever Mian sb has said, it is in the best interest of country and nobody knows better than NS what illness is damaging the country. And he is also suggesting the cure for this malady.”