LAHORE: A consultative meeting headed by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif was held at Jati Umra Wednesday to discuss the country’s political situation and preparations regarding upcoming general election.
Senior PML-N leaders including National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Maryam Nawaz, Talal Chaudhry, Daniyal Aziz, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Hanif Abbasi, Musadik Malik, and Prime Minister’s adviser Irfan Siddiqui attended the meeting.
On the occasion, Nawaz Sharif directed the party leaders to speed up people to people contact campaign across the country.
The participants also exchanged views on Nawaz’s political rally in Kot Momin on December 31.
Earlier on Tuesday, while addressing a PML-N Social Media Convention in Lahore, ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif said that the apex court’s decision against him has halted country’s progress.
He said that PML N would witness historic win in next elections as he hailed the enthusiasm of party members present at the convention.
“PML-N will have a historic win in the elections,” Sharif said to those in attendance.
“Our political opponents will fail in their intentions,” he said. Pointing out the development work undertaken during his government, Nawaz said he delivered on his promises.
“We eliminated terrorism over the past four years, with the grace of Allah. Cricket returned to Lahore,” he said. However, the progress of Pakistan has come to a standstill ever since the Panama Papers decision, he lamented.
Pointing out the development work undertaken during his government, Nawaz said he delivered on his promises. “In 2013 I had promised to eliminate load shedding and that commitment was fulfilled.”
“We eliminated terrorism over the past four years, with the grace of Allah. Cricket returned to Lahore,” he said.
However, the progress of Pakistan has come to a standstill ever since the Panama Papers decision, Nawaz lamented.
The former premier lamented that Pervez Musharraf broke the Constitution but his case is still pending in the courts, yet “they gave the verdict against us in a matter of weeks.”
“We cannot go back now. We will only go forward. The youth will take Pakistan forward. Nobody can stop you except God,” Nawaz said. The PML-N leader said although Pakistan has been independent since its creation in 1947, its founder Quaid-e-Azam’s dream is yet to be realized to the full.
“Your future should be better than your past and present.”
The former prime minister also questioned his disqualification by the Supreme Court. “Where have you heard that a leader is disqualified because he did not receive a salary from his son?” Nawaz asked.
“A ladla (dear) is excused despite admitting to his crime,” Nawaz said in an apparent reference to Imran Khan.
Nawaz 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.”Nawaz, addressing the social media convention, said the courts thankfully did not term Imran’s assets as Nawaz Sharif’s.
“And when he [Imran] accepts the assets as his, they say the assets are not yours.”
“Till today they could not even prove Rs10 worth of corruption.” He further said that these are the circumstances, which are destroying the country. “This is a matter of the Constitution and law’s supremacy,” said the PML-N chief.
Earlier addressing a convention for Pakistan Muslim League –Nawaz (PML-N) social media workers here on Tuesday, Maryam Nawaz Sharif said that Nawaz Sharif was attacked because he chose the right path over the easy one.
Maryam said her father faced hardships because he chose the right path instead of taking the easy way out.
“Nawaz Sharif was attacked because he chose the right path over the easy one. He was attacked because he stands with his ideology, and his ideology is about respecting elected representatives,” she said to loud chants from her supporters. There is no doctrine of necessity in democracy, she said and warned of “strict action” if any of her team members were “threatened”.
Praising PML N’s social media team, she said that the opponents are afraid with Social Media force of Party.
“Our opponents are scared of PML-N’s social media force,” Maryam said, adding that the social media team of the party was effectively spreading the ideology of Nawaz Sharif across Pakistan. “PML-N’s social media has not only fought your (Nawaz Sharif’s) case on social media but also played a role in the NA-120 campaign,” she said.
Published in Daily Times, December 28th 2017.
