Amid double-digit inflation and economic crisis, former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said he will not rest until he stabilises Pakistan.
“We will not rest until Pakistan becomes stable. We will not rest until we don’t bring back the lights in homes, eradicate poverty and unemployment, and build schools, hospitals, and motorways. We will fulfil promises made by my brother Shehbaz Sharif,” he said while addressing a rally here.
The former prime minister expressed his concerns regarding the negative narrative propagated on social media. “Some individuals create a storm of negativity on social media, claiming that the youth is with them. However, the true youth of Pakistan is the one standing with us,” he added.
Reflecting on his previous term as prime minister, Nawaz remarked, “During my tenure, the prices of commodities such as motorcycles, tractors, gas, flour, petrol, sugar, and other items were lower. Look at the prices now; injustice has been imposed on the people.”
Nawaz took a dig at the PTI by saying that they considered youth on their side by creating chaos on social media. “But the fact is that those sitting in front of me are the real youth – country’s asset,” he said.
These youngsters, he said, respected their elders. “My heart throbs for these young people,” he said while promising jobs to them.
Citing Transparency International’s recent report, Nawaz said that it claimed that there was the least corruption when he was in power.
The former premier said the PML-N government rid the people of loadshedding, the dollar strength against rupee was quite low and the country witnessed 6pc growth rate. “We bade goodbye to the IMF which vouchsafed for Pakistan’s progress at that time,” he said.
He recalled that CPEC projects were signed and there was $60 billion investment in the country. “We were working day in and day out for the country whereas they (a reference to the PTI) were launching protests,” he said.
“The credit for all the development goes to Shehbaz Sharif who graciously lauds me for it,” he said.
“Despite all this I was sent packing (from prime minister’s office) and today these very judges are submitting their resignations. One of these judges was set to be the chief justice… Had my government been allowed to continue, there would have been no unemployment now,” he said.
He also told the gathering that a small car would cost no more than Rs500,000 to one million rupees during his stint in power. Similarly, a motorcycle would cost Rs70,000 and a tractor Rs800,000, and it now costs Rs3.8 million.
He said a great deal of injustice had been done to Pakistan but the youngsters should not lose heart. He said he would bring the country back to the development path.
In an apparent reference to former prime minister Imran Khan, PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif, during her address, stated that a “viral disease” was causing significant harm to Pakistan but that has been eradicated now forever.
She said that the “viral disease” had plagued Pakistan for the past five to seven years, causing extensive damage, but it has now been eliminated permanently.
She mentioned that Gujranwala was the first to defeat this viral disease, saying that the ones who had initiated the long march had fled from Gujranwala.
Maryam highlighted that promises of five million houses were made, but not a single house was constructed. “If Nawaz Sharif has promised five million houses, he will definitely deliver,” she claimed.
She concluded by urging to end the politics of revenge and to embark on a journey of progress.
