Nawaz says Imran will not last long in PM office

LAHORE: Former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has reiterated that Imran Khan was not an elected but a selected prime minister and he would not last long in the office of prime minister.

Imran has destroyed the country’s economy and brought every other department to ashes, and people of Pakistan would not tolerate this destruction for long, he said while talking to party leaders and family members who called on him at the Kot Lakhpat Jail on Thursday morning.

Apart from family members including his mother Begum Shamim Akhtar, brother Shahbaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz, Capt (retd) Safdar, nephews and other relatives, many PML-N leaders also met him including former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Khwaja Asif, Pervaiz Rasheed, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Maryam Aurangzeb, Rana Sanaullah, Nihal Hashmi, Talal Chaudhry, Rana Tanveer and others. The family members spent some time with Nawaz and inquired about his health conditions.

The PML-N leaders discussed with Nawaz Sharif the prevailing political situation in the country and sought guidance for a future political strategy including the proposed APC of opposition parties in Islamabad to chalk out modus operandi for a proposed anti-government movement. A large number of workers also reached the jail and raised slogans at the arrival of PML-N leaders. They showered rose petals on them.

Talking to the party leaders, Nawaz said he was not a fortune-teller, but he knows Imran Khan's downfall is imminent. He said: "Imran Khan is a player who will soon be thrown out of the stadium by spectators. His Bani Gala residence is in the midst of corruption. Imran should be ashamed of himself."

"During our tenure, the Indian prime minister came to Pakistan. Now, the Indian prime minister did not even invite anyone for his oath-taking," Nawaz lamented, adding: "When we made Pakistan an atomic power, the world realised Pakistan's power." He said his heart bled with the thought that under his government, the country was making fast progress and if his government had not been removed, dollar would still have been at Rs 100 and stock exchange would have been at 70 thousand points, while the GDP would have been at 9 which was at 3 today. He said the rate of price hike was at 10 today, which was below 3 during his government. Nawaz said if continued, his government would have further reduced electricity tariff and constructed more motorways.

He said the opportunist rulers increased the prices of all essential commodities for people, while those leaders whom they had arrested at the time of budget used to bring the prices of food items down in the budget. He said he constructed motorways and power plants during his tenure and not a penny of corruption was proved in those projects. He said his government defeated terrorism during the last ten years, and the operations like Raddul Fasaad and Zarb-e-Azb were made a success.

Nawaz vowed to fully support the dearness-hit people against the government and said if people do not stop supporting the cruel rulers now, their patriotism would become doubtful. He asked the PML-N leaders to stand behind the masses and warned that the country was passing through decisive moments and “we should go to every limit to protect the country from destruction being enforced by the opportunists”. He directed the party leaders to contact all political parties including the MQM and persuade them to join hands with the masses to protect them from price hike and oppressive taxes.

Talking to the media, Ahsan Iqbal said the PML-N would hold consultations with opposition parties on the proposed APC and anti-government agitation during the budget session in the National Assembly.

To a question, he said the economic advisor of Imran Khan should be presented before the proposed inquiry commission announced by him and record his statement on the alleged 24,000 billion rupees loans.

Nihal Hashmi said those who announced to give petrol on Rs 45 per liter were now giving it at Rs 114 to the poor. He said those leaders who built motorways from Peshawar to Karachi, reduced load shedding and provided employment, and who distributed laptops among students were now being put into jails. He said those who follow Lawrence of Arabia were looking up to the fingers of umpires. He said the cruel and oppressive budget had been rejected by the masses. He said the Punjab Assembly was about to present budget but the rulers had put into jail the leader of the opposition to cover up their blunders and greed. He said the NAB was created by Pervez Musharraf to suppress the opponents. It was playing the role of a torture wing of the present government. He lamented the ignorance of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said how come somebody like him could claim to have studied at Oxford, and added that he was looking for those professors who had taught him at Oxford.