LAHORE: Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb, while talking to reporters outside the residence of late Asma Jahangir on Saturday, said that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif redeemed all the pledges that he made with the people in 2013 by putting the country on the road to sustained economic development.
She said now Nawaz would restore the sanctity of the vote. She also said that the former prime minister tackled the problem of terrorism, helped restore peace in Karachi, brought in foreign investment through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and provided health and education facilities to the masses.
The minister said that the pledge made by Nawaz Sharif to restore justice and the sanctity of the vote would also be fulfilled in 2018. She said that the people of Pakistan would also give their verdict against those who talked about rejecting the laws passed by the parliament.
She reiterated that the tradition of sending elected prime ministers home before the completion of their mandated terms should come to an end, adding that 17 prime ministers have met that fate in the country’s short history. The minister said that such measures were a direct blow to the process of development in the country.
Moreover, Marriyum said it was unfair to call Nawaz a “godfather, member of the Sicilian mafia, thief, and a dacoit”, even though no corruption was proved against him by the apex court.
She said that those who wanted to break Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would be disappointed to see Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif sitting together while being flanked by Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shahbaz at Lodhran.
She said the people of Lodhran had shown their support for PML-N and the party president. She also said that the people of Sheikhupura would also extend a warm welcome to Nawaz.
Later talking to reporters on her arrival at Sheikhupura, the minister observed that following the verdict given by the people of Lahore, Chakwal and Lodhran, similar voices of support for Nawaz Sharif were now emerging from Kot Momin, Jaranwala, Peshawar and Mansehra.