PML-N chief demands those responsible for diverting country from path of development be held accountable n Says he was ousted from power by four judges while Gen Bajwa, Gen Faiz played a role n Maryam says people will give historic welcome to Nawaz Sharif on October 21.

LAHORE  -  The supreme leader of the Pa­kistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former Prime Min­ister Mian Nawaz Sharif has called for accountability of those responsible for diverting the country from the path of pros­perity and development.

In a grand consultative meet­ing of the PML-N conducted via video link from London, he em­phatically stated, “Those who have steered Pakistan into this dire situation will undoubtedly be held accountable.” 

He emphasised the impor­tance of nations holding them­selves accountable, highlighting that during his tenure, account­ability was swift. He posed the question, “Will those who have led the country and its people into this predicament also face accountability?”

He went on to say, “We don’t wish to take revenge but (it is) very difficult for me to see that they have done to this country.” Nawaz Sharif lamented the ir­reparable damage caused and expressed his regret at the exces­sive bitterness in Pakistan’s his­tory, noting that such acrimony was unprecedented. He pointed out that leaders and workers of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), including Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, en­dured imprisonment and hard­ships despite being innocent of any crimes. Others, such as Ah­san Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah, and Hanif Abbasi, also suffered un­justly, he added. 

He also questioned who were those responsible for the cur­rent state of Pakistan, where the poor are struggling for basic ne­cessities like bread, electricity bills have skyrocketed, and the cost of living has escalated since 2017.

Nawaz Sharif under­scored the irony that the person who made Pa­kistan a nuclear pow­er faced exile, impris­onment, and a 27-year sentence by a terror­ism court. He questioned whether it was his fault for achieving this signif­icant milestone. He also criticised the ousting of an elected prime minister by four judges, with Gen­eral Bajwa and General Faiz seemingly playing a role, along with the com­plicity of Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa.

He lamented that In­dia had made significant progress while Pakistan lagged behind, despite In­dia emulating Pakistan’s economic reforms during his tenure. He highlight­ed India’s robust foreign reserves and internation­al influence, contrasting it with Pakistan’s current situation.

Nawaz Sharif expressed concern that Pakistan now had to seek assis­tance from other coun­tries and faced the spec­ter of default, a scenario prevented by the PDM’s efforts. He defended their actions as a necessary sacrifice for Pakistan’s well-being.

Nawaz expressed his belief that their sincerity and fear of God would be rewarded, and he wished success for those who fol­low their path. He reit­erated the need for jus­tice for those who had brought the nation to its current state and recount­ed the emotional mo­ments when his daughter, Maryam, was arrested.

Nawaz Sharif empha­sised the gravity of the situation, likening those responsible for Paki­stan’s plight to criminals worse than murderers. He stressed that justice must prevail, as forgiving such actions would be an affront to both justice and divine principles.

He concluded by high­lighting economic dispar­ities during his tenure, citing stable prices for essentials and lower in­flation, contrasting them with the present-day hardships faced by the na­tion. He urged the people to remember these facts and hold those responsi­ble accountable, empha­sizing the importance of not forgiving them.

Earlier, significant con­sultative assembly of the Punjab branch of the Pa­kistan Muslim League (N), co-chaired by the party’s Senior Vice-Pres­ident, Maryam Nawaz, and Vice-President Ham­za Shahbaz, took place at a local hotel. The prima­ry purpose was to final­ize the arrangements for the forthcoming welcome reception of Mian Nawaz Sharif, who is scheduled to return to Pakistan next month.

The meeting featured prominent figures, in­cluding the Party’s Gener­al Secretary, Ahsan Iqbal, Punjab President Rana Sanaullah Khan, former members of the National and Provincial Assembly from Punjab, and ticket holders. Additionally, of­fice bearers from all divi­sions and districts of Pun­jab were present.

Maryam Nawaz Shar­if, in her capacity as the Chief Organiser, provided an update on the prepa­rations for the return of Mian Nawaz Sharif. She informed the party mem­bers about the establish­ment of a “central facilita­tion control center” at the party’s central secretari­at, aimed at coordinating various party wings. She also detailed the prepa­rations and organisation­al collaboration at the di­vision, district, tehsil, and ward levels, emphasiz­ing the pivotal role of the central facilitation cen­ter in welcoming Quaid Nawaz Sharif. Maryam Nawaz Sharif further an­nounced that on October 21, the people would ex­tend a historic welcome to Nawaz Sharif and consign the Panama and Iqama controversies to history.

Hamza Shehbaz Shar­if, addressing the gather­ing, acknowledged Nawaz Sharif’s pivotal role in making Pakistan a nucle­ar nation but lamented its current status as a strug­gling nation. He expressed confidence that people would secure a better fu­ture for their children by electing Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister.