Punjab Assembly and National Assembly members, belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League –Nawaz (PML-N), shied away from the word ‘revolution’ despite the fact that the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif called for a change and revolution as he ended a four-day procession from Islamabad to Lahore on Saturday.
Though they remained active in Nawaz Sharif’s homecoming rally, yet they have a single-point agenda, which is the restoration of the former premier and they are almost unfamiliar with revolution rhetoric uttered by their leader.
In an interview with Pakistan Today, Punjab Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Fozia Ayub Qureshi said that she still respects judiciary but wants justice for Nawaz Sharif. “I do not want revolution. I just want restoration of Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister,” the MPA from Bahawalpur said.
MPA Begum Najma Arshad, from Dera Ghazi Khan, said that Nawaz Sharif lives in her heart and she prays for her leader, who, according to her, is her prime minister. “I do not want any kind of revolution. The Supreme Court (SC) should review its verdict and respect the sentiments of the people. That will be revolution for me.”
Addressing tens of thousands of his supporters at Data Darbar, Nawaz Sharif censured the SC for his ouster and said that he would not sit at home now and would change the fate of the country.
He said to the crowd, “The passion and spirit I am seeing here is a harbinger of a revolution! If this revolution does not come, nothing will change ever. If this revolution does not happen, we will become the worst nation in the region.”
MNA Shahnaz Saleem Malik asked the reason to the ex-prime minister’s disqualification from the SC, saying, “Why was Nawaz Sharif disqualified when he was moving the country toward progress and prosperity?”
“He remained the premier for three times but never completed a full term in the office. That is injustice. We want that every prime minister of the country should complete his term and should not be ousted,” She said.
MNA Kiran Dar said that neither the PML-N nor she wants any revolution. “No one should be allowed to disrespect the power of vote in the country. Nawaz is not involved in any corruption or any misappropriation. They have treated Nawaz Sharif in the same way during all his three stints. That should stop now,” she said.
The opposition parties have lashed out at Nawaz Sharif for ‘attacking’ institutions in his speeches and rally. Nawaz nominated former oil minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as prime minister after his disqualification.
However, the premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has defended Nawaz Sharif’s criticism on the SC and said that his leader was not undermining any institution instead he was only sharing his thoughts with public which was his right.
Abbasi rejected all objections to Nawaz Sharif’s ongoing rhetoric about the Supreme Court judges who had disqualified him. “He (Nawaz Sharif) is still my leader. Whatever Mian Sahab has said recently, he has done nothing wrong. He has accepted and respected the Supreme Court’s decision. He has not targeted any individual or any institution,” the premier said.
