Time to raise flag for supremacy of justice, says Nawaz

• Former premier says Shehbaz Sharif stood by him through everything

LAHORE: The leader of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has said that the time has come to raise the flag for the supremacy of justice in the country.

Addressing a convention of PML-N social media workers on Tuesday, he said, “The time has come now to raise the flag for the supremacy of justice. Our history shows that all those dictators, who came to power, were legitimised by the courts.”

The former premier lamented that Pervez Musharraf violated the Constitution but his case was still pending in the courts, adding that yet, courts gave the verdict against him in a matter of weeks

The former premier also claimed that PML N will witness “historic win” in the upcoming elections.

Nawaz said that he has no doubts the party will witness a “historic victory” in the next general elections, as he hailed the enthusiasm of party members present at the convention. “PML-N will have a historic win in the elections,” he said to those in attendance, adding that “our political opponents will fail in their intentions”.

The ruling party’s president also said that his younger brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif stood by him through everything, and has helped fulfil all the promises he [Nawaz] made to the country.

“He stood with me like an equal and took responsibility for fixing problems,” he added.

Counting achievements during his tenure in office, Nawaz said, “We eliminated terrorism over the past four years with the grace of Allah, load shedding has been eliminated and cricket returned to Lahore.” He, however, lamented that the progress of Pakistan had come to a standstill after the Panama Papers verdict, in which he was disqualified for not receiving the salary from his son.

He, however, directed the audience that it was time to move forward and not look back. “The youth will take Pakistan forward. Nobody can stop you except God,” Nawaz said.

The PML-N leader said that although Pakistan has been independent since its creation in 1947, its founder Quaid-e-Azam’s dream is yet to be realised completely.

“Your future should be better than your past and present,” he said.

In an apparent reference to Imran Khan, Nawaz said, “A “ladla” (dear) is excused despite admitting to his crime.” He added that throughout the world, people had the right to elect a government but this was not the case in Pakistan.

“Pakistan is a country where the offshore companies of some are ‘halal’ and others ‘haram’.”

He claimed that corruption of not even Rs10 could be proved against him. He added that these circumstances were destroying the country.

“This is a matter of the Constitution and supremacy of the law,” said the PML-N chief.

Maryam Nawaz, leader of PML N and Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, in her father’s vehement defence, said that he was attacked because he stood with ideology and because he chose the right path over the easy one.

“Nawaz Sharif was attacked because he stands with his ideology, and his ideology is about respecting elected representatives,” she said to loud chants from her supporters. She added that the “doctrine of necessity cannot stand along with the ideology of democracy”.

There is no doctrine of necessity in a democracy, she said and warned of “strict action” if any of her team members were “threatened”. The ardent leader stated that ‘Nawaz ideology’ revolves around adulteration-free democracy.

Maryam asserted that those who are elected by voters can’t be ‘minus’, and that few elements can’t implement their ideology on 200 million people.

While highlighting and extolling achievements of PMLN social media cell, Maryam claimed that they have established footholds in every district and street of Pakistan. She apprised Nawaz Sharif that they [PMLN’s social media activists] played an effective role during GT Road rally and the NA-120 by-polls, and urged party president to fully back them.

“PML-N’s social media activists were abducted,” Maryam said, adding that the opponents of the party are scared of PML-N’s social media team.