Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif on Monday warned the government to either obey the Supreme Court’s verdict in the contempt case against the prime minister or face a mass protest movement that would include a long march.
Addressing a press conference after chairing a joint meeting of the PML-N’s parliamentary party and Central Working Committee (CWC), Nawaz said the PML-N had decided to launch a protest movement inside and outside parliament until Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani stepped down as prime minister.
He said, “The protest movement will start in a week… rather it will start today,” adding that the PML-N would contact all parties including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-islami, for the protest movement.
“Every Pakistani should come out on the streets to take the country forward… I invite all opposition parties to rise above political differences and unite for this cause,” he said.
Nawaz announced that the PML-N would also approach the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to get the decision regarding Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s disqualification passed.
He invited opposition parties to join his movement against the government for the interest of the nation. “I will invite Imran Khan, JI, national parties in Sindh and Balochistan and Naheed Khan and other real successors of Benazir Bhutto to join the movement for the betterment of the country,” the PML-N chief said.
He said the government had become a threat to the future of the country because of its bad governance and looting of the national exchequer.
Responding to Gilani’s statements, Nawaz said the government had turned the country into a laughing stock by indulging in corruption and lawlessness. He also requested lawyers, civil society, NGOs and students to join his party’s movement.
To a question regarding the long march and the protest movement, Nawaz said his party would protest within parliament and on the streets.
Recalling the judges’ restoration movement in 2009, the PML-N president called on the people to show the same zeal to restore rule of law in the country. “After restoring the judges, I thought that law will prevail in the country but that did not happen… the Zardari government never accepted the law and refused to comply with court orders,” Nawaz said. He said all over the world leaders stepped down from their posts if convicted, but “here the government makes fun of the court’s orders and the leaders keep sticking to their posts”. Earlier, chairing a meeting of the PML-N Central Working Committee, Nawaz said the government was repeating former president Pervez Musharraf’s precedent by not honouring court’s verdict and adopting a war path.
Nawaz blows the war trumpet
