Former PM says he was ousted in 1999 for opposing fighting in Kargil n PML-N leader demands those who brought country to this point should be held accountable n Says had they not removed PTI govt through a no-confidence motion Pakistan would have defaulted n Imran Khan’s govt created problem of power prices for people.

 

LAHORE  -  Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif Saturday said that he had played an active role in steering the country out of crisis in the past and he would put it on the road to de­velopment once again. 

Addressing the 6th parliamentary board meeting of the party at the PML-N Secretariat here on Saturday, he said the nation faced critical circumstances during the last four years. He said Pakistan was head­ing towards develop­ment during his tenure as the prime minister in 2017, but the develop­ment journey was halted and an incompetent gov­ernment was imposed on the nation, which sabotaged development projects like Chi­na-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and others.

The former prime minster re­called that economic indicators of the country were also im­proving at that time and world had acknowledge those im­provements, adding that Pa­kistani rupee was stable and maintained its worth in his pre­vious four-year tenure, but after that its rate started depreciat­ing with each passing day.

Nawaz said the PML-N always achieved public mandate on the basis of its performance, add­ing that his party had provided services at every front including economical, political, defence and foreign affairs. 

He recalled that Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi had come to Pakistan during the PML-N tenure, stressing the need for resolving issues and establish­ing strong ties with neighbour­ing countries. “How can you achieve a global status when your neighbours are upset with you, or you are with them”, he said. “We have to fix our affairs with India and Afghanistan as well, [and] strengthen them further with Iran and China.” The three-time prime minister questioned why he was oust­ed from the office of the prime minister prematurely.

“I should be told why I was ousted in 1993 and 1999. When I opposed the Kargil plan say­ing it should not happen... I was ousted (by Gen Pervez Musharraf). And later what I said proved right,” Sharif said. 

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader said that on all three occasions being the premier he was deliv­ering but he was sent packing and that he did not know why.

“I want to know why I was ousted every time,” he asked. Speaking about his party’s three tenures, Nawaz said: “Each time, we came and did good work for the country’s development and each time we were ousted.” “[Was it] because we handled matters the right way? [Was it] because we said the fighting in Kargil should not have taken place? Is this why we were oust­ed?” he asked, adding that he was “proven right”.

Addressing his party leaders, the PML-N supremo said they should not only be passionate about obtaining tickets for con­testing the upcoming general elections but also think about the country’s situation.

“Those who have brought the country to this point, they should also be held account­able. They should be asked how you meted out such treatment with this country. “Why did you do so, which no patriotic Paki­stani can ever even imagine?” the former premier asked.

Nawaz’s statement comes just one day after said his party does not desire to win elections and form a government but de­mands accountability.

Nawaz Sharif said politi­cians should come forward with an objective to serve masses and everyone inter­ested in politics must set his goal to develop the coun­try. He added that politicians should be aware of true spir­it of their duties that was not only their loud speeches in parliament or their constitu­encies but serving the people.

He said Pakistan would have defaulted if the Pakistan Dem­ocratic Movement (PDM) had not decided to intervene as ev­erything had paralysed by 2022, the last year which saw the re­moval of Pakistan Tehreek-e-In­saf government through a no-confidence motion. 

“I do not understand how a country’s governance is hand­ed over to an inept person. You take the powers from a well-run government and hand them to an inept person,” he said in an apparent reference to former premier Imran Khan. Nawaz also spoke about the electricity issues facing the country, stat­ing that previously there was “only the issue of load-shedding but now Imran Khan’s govern­ment has also created the prob­lem of power prices for us”.

He said that politicians should be very well aware of services delivery among the masses so that one should step in politics with a comprehensive plan and programme, adding that prog­ress from the grassroots to na­tional level should be the motto of politicians.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Chief Organizer Maryam Nawaz, Senator Ishaq Dar, Sec­retary General Ahsan Iqbal, Punjab President Rana Sanaul­lah, Saad Rafique, Pervez Ra­sheed, Sardar Ayyaz Sadiq and candidates, who had applied for the party tickets from Attock, Chakwal, Talagang and Jhelum, were present.

PML-N member from Chitral meets Nawaz

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif and President Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with par­ty member from Chitral and for­mer MNA Shehzada Iftikharud­din, here on Saturday.

Nawaz Sharif lauded the ser­vice and contribution to the nation of the late Shehzada Muhiuddin, father of Shehzada Iftikharuddin. 

The ex-MNA congratulated Nawaz Sharif on his Avenfield reference acquittal. The meet­ing discussed party affairs and preparations for the upcoming elections, as well as Iftikharud­din’s constituency situation.

Senator Ishaq Dar, PML-N Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz, Punjab President Rana Sanaul­lah, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Capt (retd) Safdar and Deputy Secretary General Attaullah Tarar were also present.