Former PM calls for action against those involved in toppling his govt in 2017 by filing fabricated cases against PML-N leaders n Says his party will rescue Pakistan from this troubling state n Those who labeled others as thieves proved to be the biggest thieves.

LAHORE  -  Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Friday renewed his demand for ac­countability of former military generals and judges for ruining the country by ousting his government in 2017.

Addressing the party’s parliamentary board which is finalising the tickets for the Febru­ary 8 general elections, Sharif said: “We do not want to come into pow­er to roam around in lux­ury cars but we want the accountability of those who ruined this country, bringing it to the brink of economic disaster.” 

This was the first time since his return to the country this October af­ter a four-year self-exile in the UK that Nawaz Sharif reiterated his de­mand for accountability of those generals and judges involved in top­pling his government.

PML-N President She­hbaz Sharif, Vice Presi­dent Maryam Nawaz, and other leaders were present in the meet­ing. Talking about the corruption cases filed against him and his fam­ily, Nawaz emphasised the need to take action against those who filed “baseless cases” against him as he highlighted the unjust incarceration of party leaders in fabri­cated cases. He said he himself was now getting justice after seven years. He was refer­ring to the corruption allega­tions following the exposure of the Panama Papers.

Nawaz expressed the party’s commitment to serving the na­tion while simultaneously de­manding accountability for those responsible for the al­leged victimisation of PML-N leaders. Nawaz clarified that his return to the country was not solely aimed at forming a gov­ernment but also included a de­sire for action against corrup­tion and political victimization.

Referring to a purported leaked audio conversation in­volving former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, Nawaz claimed that the ex-Chief Justice suggested keeping PML-N leaders, includ­ing himself, behind bars to fa­cilitate the rise of Imran Khan, who was the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at the time, ahead of the 2018 general elections.

“Will anyone question those who fabricated false cases against me? Will someone in­quire into their motives? Judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui re­vealed that General Faiz con­veyed that two years of their painstaking efforts would go to waste if Nawaz Sharif and his daughter were released from prison. Additionally, there is an audio clip of Saqib Nisar stat­ing that keeping them in jail and promoting Imran Khan is the agenda,” he declared, add­ing that a joker was brought to power who played havoc with this country.

Nawaz pointed out that it had happened during the tenure of the same Chief Justice that 190 million pounds were deposit­ed into the Supreme Court’s ac­count, yet he was still accepted as the Chief Justice. “The nation deserves to know who commit­ted this grand theft,” he empha­sised. Nawaz criticised those who labeled others as thieves, only to be revealed as the big­gest thieves themselves.

Without directly naming in­dividuals, Nawaz also criticized former PTI chief Imran Khan and labeled the 190 million pounds NAB reference against PTI leaders as the “biggest scam” in the country’s history. He said no one had any doubt that it was the biggest corrup­tion scandal; and the biggest proof is that the approval was taken from the cabinet by wav­ing a closed envelope.

He asserted that the PTI lead­ers lacked understanding of the morals and principles of a wel­fare state, accusing them of ex­ploiting these ideals for politi­cal gain. In particular, he labeled the 190 million pound case as the most significant scandal in the nation’s history.

Nawaz expressed regret over being accused of not accepting a salary from his son, noting that this accusation led to their im­prisonment and punishment. He highlighted that he, along with his brother, daughter, nephew, and prominent party members, faced false accusations, result­ing in his incarceration.

Acknowledging life’s inevi­table challenges, Nawaz stated that while individuals endure hardships and pains, there are some wounds that never heal. He emphasized that through­out history, many have expe­rienced similar pains, and he called for the nation to be aware of the facts surrounding their situation. In addition to his par­ty’s commitment to serving the country, Nawaz stressed the im­portance of revealing the truth about the false accusations and imprisonments they endured.

Expressing disappointment in the lack of transparency and ethical considerations in soci­ety, Nawaz lamented that such political games had been played for 70 to 75 years without ac­countability or regard for soci­etal values.

Nawaz affirmed that his party aimed to rescue Pakistan from this troubling state, entering the political arena with the in­tention of making positive con­tributions to the country. He also extended congratulations to Ahad Cheema, a former bu­reaucrat, and his family for Cheema’s acquittal from the as­sets beyond means case. Nawaz criticised the practice of im­plicating competent and hard­working officials like Cheema in false cases for political rea­sons, causing immense pain to individuals and demoralizing bureaucratic officers.