- Says voting for others will form govt of ‘puppets’ as all have been sold
- Maryam calls Imran ‘guest actor’, who will disappear after elections
SAHIWAL: Disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said that his competition in the forthcoming elections was with “unseen forces” and not against any populist political party like Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).
The PML-N supremo said this while addressing a public gathering at Sheikh Zafar Ali Stadium in Sahiwal, where he urged people to vote for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as it was the only way to overturn the disqualification verdict against him.
After taking jibes at Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Zardari, the former premier accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan of being in a cohort with Asif Zardari, alleging that Imran was also sold and his party members formed queues to vote for PPP in the Senate election.
“Voting for PPP, PTI or even independent candidates could lead to a ‘puppet’ government, as all have been sold out,” he said, adding that vote should be paid its due respect as the people of Pakistan couldn’t be “fooled” anymore.
Speaking to the participants of the rally, Nawaz said that voting for others was tantamount to the formation of a ‘government of stooges’.
“Imran has become a stooge,” the former premier told the participants. “They all have a secret understanding. Imran voted for arrow – PPP’s electoral symbol,” he said, adding that Zardari would not oppose Imran and vice versa.
“Have some shame, why do you think people of being fools?” Nawaz asked.
The PML-N supreme leader also took a jibe at PTI over its recently-held rally in Lahore, saying, “Jalsa Lahore da, banda Pishore da, tey agenda kise hor da [Rally in Lahore, crowd from Peshawar and agenda of someone else].”
“Laadley sahib, you are not succeeding. You were a failure earlier and you have failed now as well,” he said.
“Peshawar is in ruins while the rest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is also in bad shape,” Nawaz said and asked the participants to visit Peshawar and see which ‘naya [new] Pakistan’ was being made there. He also asked the people to inquire the PTI chief as to where did he end load shedding in KP.
“PML-N put an end to load shedding in the whole of the country, rooted out terrorism and restored peace to Karachi,” the former premier noted. “We brought CPEC to Pakistan and they are again pushing a well-to-do country backwards.”
In an apparent reference to the Hajj corruption scandal that surfaced during the tenure of the former PPP-led government, Nawaz questioned was there anyone to inquire the ones who exploited pilgrims.
The thrice premier said that the slogan of “give respect to vote” meant that what has been happening for the past 70 years should not be repeated for the next 70 years.
Addressing the participants, Nawaz promised to make mini-motorway in Sahiwal if they once again elected him as prime minister.
Speaking to the crown earlier, Maryam Nawaz – Nawaz’s daughter – said that the PTI chief plays the role of a ‘guest actor’ in each election held in the country. Imran will vanish after the elections end and will be nowhere to be found, she said.
“It is only Imran’s fate to be used as a pawn,” she said.
Addressing the participants of the rally, she said that it marked the start of what party officials claim is its ‘public mobilisation drive’.
Strict security arrangements were in place at the venue, with 1,145 police personnel deployed for security duties, according to the district police officer.
Ever since Nawaz has been ousted from the premiership, he has vigorously pushed a campaign against ‘unseen forces’, who he holds responsible for his ouster. Along with Maryam, the former premier has been repeatedly calling for restoring the sanctity of the vote, which he claims was damaged after he was disqualified by the Supreme Court in Panama [Papers] case.
On the other hand, PTI Spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry, while reacting to Nawaz Sharif’s address with a rally in Sahiwal, has said that the former premier has been giving his traditional narrative of a ‘conspiracy’ hatched against him.
In his statement, Fawad said that having Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah seated in the first row and welcoming him was condemnable. “Rana Sanaullah has Maryam Nawaz’s backing in the insult of women.”
He questioned from where Rs300 billion was invested in 16 companies owned by Nawaz’s children.
“What were the sources behind Sharifs’ London properties?” the PTI spokesman said, adding that the former premier does not respond to these queries.
“When questioned, Nawaz says it’s a threat to democracy,” Fawad lambasted and called on the former prime minister to explain his sources of property and income.
“No one else is conspiring against Nawaz Sharif, but he himself is doing so,” he added.
