Vote about to get respect: Nawaz

BAHAWALPUR: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said his slogan “Vote ko Izzat Do” (Respect the Vote) was mainly an awakening call for the country’s youth so that no bench of five judges could oust an elected prime minister as it happened in his own case.

"Now the vote is about to get respect," the former prime minister said and promised that he would work day and night to serve them, if given a chance again, in response to the love the people were giving to him.

Addressing a huge public gathering at Chishtian, Nawaz said the big crowd at Chishtian proved that the people of south Punjab had rejected the party defectors from the region and they would have to face the resentment of the voters in upcoming general elections. Only the PML-N ticket-holders will win the elections in south Punjab, he added.

The PML-N supremo asked the people to give his party a landslide victory to nullify his disqualification and said their majority vote would blow away all the decisions made against him. “No one has the right to tear apart the ballot paper,” he remarked.

He questioned whether it was justice to term anyone a traitor just for being a proponent of democratic rights of the people of Pakistan and being pro-democracy. “It is no justice,” Nawaz remarked.

"The one who serves the country is either declared corrupt or a traitor," he lamented. Nawaz said he would reform the justice system in which the heirs had to experience painful court proceedings for decades after a person filed a case.

The former prime minister thanked the people of Chishtian for their warm reception amid chants of “Vote ko Izzat Do”. Speaking on the occasion, Maryam Nawaz in her address said earlier the religion card was used against Nawaz and “they are now exploiting” his statement about the non-state actors.

She claimed that huge attendance by the people underlined that Nawaz would make a comeback in just two-month time as the general elections were around the corner. She said the PML N had served the people of Punjab more than any other government and expressed the hope that the voters would elect the PML N again in forthcoming general elections due to its performance.

"Pakistan is our home and Nawaz, who thrice became the prime minister, is an elder of this home," she said. "And if man of a family points out something in good faith then it should be listened to," Maryam added.

“Those who did nothing in the last five years are now dreaming to form the next government,” she said with reference to the claims made by both PTI and PPP. Expressing her delight over the massive rally and a charged crowd, Maryam hailed the people of Chishtian and said, “I love you the people of Chishtian.”

It is pertinent to mentioned that the rally’s organiser, Chaudhry Ahsan-ul-Haq Bajwa, PML-N MPA from Chishtian, had not arranged any shade for the participants but did place a chiller on the stage for the party leaders.

The host had also announced Iftar dinner for the participants but there were such arrangements for the people who had come from the far-flung areas of Chishtian and spent many hours there in hot weather. However, Bajwa presented a 15-tola gold crown to Maryam and also phoned The News for publishing this News too.