Nawaz promises ‘economic explosion’ if voted into power

By
PakistanToday
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67
206

The frontrunner in the general election race, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif attracted tens of thousands on Monday to a rally at which he promised development and economic revival.

Sharif travelled to Mansehra, a stronghold of his party, where supporters packed a huge stadium.

Two police officials estimated the crowd at up to 30,000, in contrast to the hundreds who greeted former military ruler Pervez Musharraf on his return to Pakistan Sunday after four years in exile to contest the polls.

Opinion polls are notoriously unreliable in Pakistan, but indicators suggest Sharif is likely to emerge the biggest winner from the general election on May 11, which will mark the country’s first democratic transition of power.

The stadium was decorated with large portraits of Sharif and banners reading “Tiger of Pakistan, we love you” and “Welcome prime minister of Pakistan, pride of Pakistan”.

The PML-N’s election symbol is a tiger and the rally featured a live tiger in a cage.

Many voters are disillusioned with the outgoing Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government, saddled with allegations of corruption and mismanagement. Security and the economy have worsened over the last five years.

Pakistan became a nuclear power in May 1998 during Sharif’s second term as prime minister. He was ousted by Musharraf the following year.

“Last time we carried out nuclear explosions. Now we will carry out economic explosions,” Sharif told the crowd.

Militant attacks and violence against the Shia Muslim minority have raised fears about security for the polls in the nation of 180 million.

Sharif ordered a bullet-proof screen around his podium to be removed, a move greeted with loud applause.

But security was extremely tight with police commandos patrolling with AK-47s and a buffer zone ringed with barbed wire around the stage.

As premier, Sharif earned praise for economic reforms and for building a motorway from Peshawar to Lahore in the east.

He promised that if his party was elected a third time, he would build a motorway from Lahore to Karachi.

“I am not fond of power, I only want to see my country progressing and my people prosper,” he told the crowd.

Sharif first became prime minister in 1990 but was sacked three years later on corruption charges.

He returned to power in 1997 after an election but was ousted in the 1999 coup by Musharraf and was sent into exile in Saudi Arabia in 2000.

He returned in November 2007 just before the February 2008 general election, won by the PPP on a wave of support following the assassination of its leader Benazir Bhutto in December 2007.

Mohammad Afzal, a student aged 18, said he would vote for Sharif.

“Only he can save us from load shedding (chronic power cuts) and control inflation,” Afzal said.

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67 COMMENTS

    • Do u think PMLN is productive even a little bit. Building needless bridges instead of spending money on futuristic power projects. They r fooling educated people.

    • Do u think PMLN is productive even a little bit. Building needless bridges instead of spending money on futuristic power projects. They r fooling educated people.

  9. Pmln is only dying to get his turn. Bhookoon ka pait kabhi nai bher sakta. Yea iqtadar protocol aur paisay Kay bhookay hein. Pakistan Kay asli dushman

    • Pak-Iran gas pipelines, and Gwader port, and 1000MW nuclear power projects r far more futuristic and productive than needless money spent on bridges not required yet in a poor country.

  12. We can not test them again and again. the got governance in Punjab for 5 times what explosion they have done so far. It is not economic reforms rather it is justice which is the backbone for a viable society and guaranties a viable future. rest of the feforms are the automatic followers. See the crime statistics posted on the Punjab police official website and decide: http://www.punjabpolice.gov.pk/crimesstatistics

  16. Pakistan main problems corrupt Politicians & money greedy Religious Scholars one good example is Sheikh ul Hypocrisy Tahir ul Qadri. Pakistan need one good honest politician who can put on world map as developing country like Mohammad Mahathir unfortunately we don't have one like him.

  17. Imran Khan supporters are delusional who believe they can break Nawaz Sharif voter bank in Punjab. Imran Khan is mentally not mature and don't have the ability to analyze the consequences of his stupid political decisions of doing alliance with Sheikh ul Hypocrisy and now with Jamat Islami. Imran Khan still don't have political platform nor any domestic or foreign policy all he got sound bites. Nawaz Sharif is more likely to win the majority of seats for form next federal government but that does not mean he is honest man, he is as corrupt as Asif Zardari political mafia gang.

    • Do u think PMLN is productive even a little bit. Building needless bridges instead of spending money on futuristic power projects. They r fooling educated people.
      Pak-Iran gas pipelines, and Gwader port, and 1000MW nuclear power projects r far more futuristic and productive than needless money spent on bridges not required yet in a poor country.

      • I agree with you. I am not supporting Nawaz Sharif or any other politician, they are all corrupt. I even can't vote not Pakistan citizen.

  18. Why did eradication of LOADSHEDDING find no place in the speech. Stupid, foolish pakistanis.

    • Ya u r correct. Pak-Iran gas pipelines, and Gwader port, and 1000MW nuclear power projects with China reached last month r far more futuristic and productive than needless money spent on bridges not required yet in a poor country.

  20. It was indeed a large jalsa by local standards, highest in the history of Mansehra according to eye witnesses. The people of Hazara love Mian Nawaz Sharif the same way other people of Pakistan love him. This leader has delivered in the past and will deliver in future as well, InshaAllah!
    He has gifted Pakistan with Motorways (against which General Mush raised US$500million through Sukuks), international standard airports at Karachi & Lahore (Zardari govt raised Rs184billion by securitising Jinnah terminal in 2011), Gwadar Port (largest deep sea port in the region), JF7 Thunder aircrafts, Ghazi Barotha Dam (the last mega dam built in Pakistan producing 1451MW electricity) and made Pakistan the nuclear power in the world (making it invincible in the eyes of its enemies).
    Despite all foul-mouth by PPP and its Bteams (PMLQ+MQM+PTI), the performance of Punjab governemnt has been far better than all other provincial governments. Education explosions include establishment of Daanish schools for free education of poor children in different parts of the province, establishment of IT labs in 4100 schools, distribution of laptops among 215000 brilliant students (copied by KPK CM). Health explosions include establishment of hospitals in Bahawalpur, Multan, Rawalpindi, distribution of free medicines among poor patients. Improvement of infrastructure of mega cities in the province and gifting Pakistanis with MetroBus; first-ever in the Country…. All these projects have been duly audited by Transparency International and declared free from any corruption (another pride for the people of Pakistan!).
    That is why the world leaders from countries like China and Turkey repose their trust on PML-N and have dealt directly with Punjab Government.

    • What performance in Punjab!!!
      Pak-Iran gas pipelines, and Gwader port, and 1000MW nuclear power projects r far more futuristic and productive than needless money spent on bridges not required yet in a poor country.
      Mansahra has always been a Talbanized and conservative city, the home of stupid molvies. I m not surprised at all.

  21. TSUNAMI kids should now come out of the UTOPIAN WORLD. See a man delivering results in economic liberalization. You CANNOT compare a cricketer-turned-zakat eater with economic leader!

    • The zakat eater promised to go to Court to file defamation suit when his zakat misappropriation by Shaukat Khanum Hospital (named after his mother) was exposed in August 2012. But he has not gone to Court so far ..
      Zakat chor Million Dollars kha gya 😉
      . Daal mei Kuch kaala hai 😉

    • What performance in Punjab!!!
      Pak-Iran gas pipelines, and Gwader port, and 1000MW nuclear power projects r far more futuristic and productive than needless money spent on bridges not required yet in a poor country.
      Mansahra has always been a Talbanized and conservative city, the home of stupid molvies. I m not surprised at all.
      Talbans fully support ganja becoz he is their agent. You cannot imagine any progress under Talbanized Nawazoo.

  22. Saeeda,

    Please do not insult highly professional people including doctors engineers, PhDs in science subjects, top economists who think IK could make Pakistan a great country.
    Be careful in future.

    • Guest,

      Give me the names of PHDs in science, Doctors & Engineers, these professionals first of all don't like to get involve in politics if they do they really have no knowledge about this corrupt politics. I also would like to know the names of Economists who think Imran Khan make Pakistan great country who really have no solid economic plan for the country.

    • @ Saeeda
      Take it as a warning. Perhaps you do not have an idea of how PTI manics can behave?

  24. Did you hear about the one where after the nuclear tests Nawaz FROZE THE FOREIGN ACCOUNTS OF THE ORDINARY CITIIZENS BUT SOME HOW BEFORE THE ACCOUNTS WERE FROZEN HE MANAGED TO GET HIS MONEY OUT.

    IK has never taken a penny from the poor of Pakistan but Nawaz and his family have built a career out of it.

    • Nuclear Project was exclusive achievement of ZA Bhutto. How come Nawazoo claim credit? Nuclear bombs were made long before in 1982 as Dr. Qadeer claimed.

  26. DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE ONE WHERE HIS SON HAS GOT A BILIION $ BUSINESS IN THE UK. WHERE DID THE MONEY COME FROM? MONEY LAUNDERING ANYONE?

  32. Keeping in view the development in Punjab, it can be expected !
    Good terms with Turkey can prove to be beneficial in this regard !

  36. Pmln is only dying to get his turn. Bhookoon ka pait kabhi nai bher sakta. Yea iqtadar protocol aur paisay Kay bhookay hein. Pakistan Kay asli dushman

  38. PT is becoming notorious for censoring comments that don't align with their views. Selective censorship is the gateway to controling independent opinions.

  41. What a bunch of clowns. Pakistan doesn't need a motorway or a nuclear bomb. It needs EDUCATION, EDUCATION and EDUCATION.
    Look at Finland. One of their companies, Nokia, has more going for it than the whole of Pakistan put together. That is because they invest in education.
    Wake up people before it's too late.

  42. What he means to say is that after PPP's enormous corruption, its PMLN's turn to loot the country & suck it dry.

    Shame on anyone who votes for PMLN.

  44. Gap of at least 150 Meters between the general public and the " Awami Leader ". But feels real nice that they did not PhotoShop to fill that emty quarter, like all the PTI so called "" Tsunamis "".

  45. Neither imran nor nawaz tell the sloution of energy crisis coz ppp already taken steps, that are for the pple of pakistan,

  46. I DONT UNDERSTAND HOW ON EARTH, OUR PAKISTANI PEOPLE ARE AT TIMES SO BLIND THAT THEY CANNOT SEE WHO THE ACTUAL LEADER IS .
    IM SORRY TO SAY, BUT NAWAZ SHARIF IS VERY MUCH FOND OF POWER TO BUILD MORE FACTORIES ACROSS THE GLOBE AND ENJOY HIS MONEY BED..

    PEOPLE ARE NUTS AND PEOPLE HAVE NO SENSE, ONLY BECAUSE OF ILLITERACY. THEY ONLY WANT ROADS, AND WATER SHELTER AND NOTHING ELSE…. THEY DON'T CARE AND DON'T KNOW THE CRISIS OUR COUNTRY IS IN.

    MAY ALLAH HELP US
    .

  49. PML-N needs to reply, where is the looted money via “Qaraz Utaro Mulk Sunwaro” by Nawaz Sharif. My second question is regarding Foreign Currency Accounts of Overseas Pakistanis, which were frozen by Nawaz sharif after Atomic Explosion in 1998. They transferred all foreign currency to their foreign Accounts. More over the Foreign Currency Account Holders were forced to accept 40 Rupees Against each US Dollar where as the open market rate was 66 rupees per dollar. Who earned that illegal Money was the Ruling Party called PML and Nawaz was the Prime minister. These thieves have all their property out of Pakistan. They blame others but forget their own Character.

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