Nawaz is returning for you: Shahbaz

LAHORE: PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the NAB court had no choice but to exonerate Nawaz from all the corruption charges, yet it chose to punish him over assumptions and legally flawed grounds. However, the party supremo was returning for the future of the people of Pakistan, who would pay tributes to their leader with an historic welcome on July 13, he added.

The PML-N president was greeted by thousands of supporters who showered him with flower petals with deafening chants of “Sher”, “Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif” and “Faisla Namanzur (NAB Verdict Rejected)” as he went through Lahore, addressing workers’ conventions. A large number of the suspended local government representatives, Lahore mayor and deputy mayors, UC chairmen and vice-chairmen and others attended the gatherings.

Shahbaz said boycotting elections was not an option or under consideration. “Whoever wins as a result of free, fair and transparent elections would be acceptable to the PML-N,” he added.

He started every gathering with prayers for the martyrs of the Peshawar Bombing.

He said Nawaz would be welcomed by his loving and spirited supporters at all cost. “If they want to arrest me, I’m ready for it.”

“Kalsoom Nawaz is still on the ventilator, Nawaz has been sentenced for 10 years. His return would mean that he might never be able to see his wife again. If he were to think selfishly, he would rather stay back with his wife then who is he coming back for? For himself or for you, the nation!” questioned the PML-N President to which the crowd roared back a “for us”.

“Therefore this brave choice merits that we, the people of this country, will honour this selfless choice with an historic welcome for this son of the soil. We are peaceful people, we would not damage even a single bulb,” urged Shahbaz.

He said even the verdict against Nawaz clearly stated that the NAB could not prove a penny worth of corruption against the PML-N supremo and therefore had in essence declared Nawaz as Sadiq and Ameen.