JARANWALA/FAISALABAD, Jan 27 (APP)::Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said that General Election 2018 would prove
to be a referendum, and people would once again repose full confidence in the continuity of
progressive and pro-people policies of Pakistan Muslim League-N government.
Addressing a mammoth gathering at Jinnah Stadium, he said the people of Jaranwala
and Faisalabad had endorsed the PML-N policies of eliminating load-shedding, terrorism,
and putting the country on the path of progress and prosperity.
The former prime minister enthralled the participants by comparing his meeting with that
of Lahore where a large number of empty chairs were displayed during the meeting of three
main opposition parties. He said there was no parallel between the meeting of PML-N and
other political parties.
He said the huge participation of people in the PML-N meetings, was the dawn of a
new prosperous and fully developed Pakistan.
He said millions of people voted him to power but he was disqualified afterwards. “My
fault was that I had not received salary from my son and hence I was disqualified and asked
to vacate the prime minister’s house.” “Now, I have come to people’s court who could well
adjudge my fault,” he added
He said the journey between Islamabad to Lahore needed just four hours, but he covered
that distance in four days. He said he was surprised by the enthusiasm of people on GT Road
and the same enthusiasm was evident in the Jaranwala meeting.
He said elections would be a referendum for a new Pakistan where every person would
get a respectable job and load-shedding would vanish forever.
Nawaz Sharif said he had a solemn pledge with the people to end load-shedding in his
five-year tenure, but he was disqualified after four years. “Despite that, I am proud of fulfilling
my promise and pledge.” Similarly, the promise to link Jaranwala with Motorway had also been
fulfilled, he added.
He said he would again visit Jaranwala during election days as he had deep love for the
people of Jaranwala and Faisalabad.
Recalling the year 1999 when he decided to opt for atomic explosions, he said that there
was no shortage and dearth of electricity and the PML-N government was planning to export
electricity to other countries at that juncture.
He recalled that there was no terrorism and country was making progress by leaps and
bounds and people were getting jobs. Schools and colleges were being established and Pakistan
was going to emerge as an economic tiger but Musharraf took over in the country, which eventually
disrupted the pace of progress and prosperity.
He said he was again voted to power after 13 long years, and he had to spend seven years
in exile and 14 months in jail during that ordeal,.
He said when he came to power again, people were facing long load-shedding hours and
incidents of terrorism. There was no electricity and gas, and the country was facing turmoil, he
added.
He said the PML-N government once gain rooted out terrorism, though sporadic cases of
terrorism were occurring again, as an elected prime minister had been disqualified.
Regarding recent drone attack, he said during his tenure, he had made it clear to US President
Obama that Pakistan was a sovereign country and it would not allow anybody to intrude on its soil.
Nawaz Sharif was critical of the opposition for making false claims of building a new Pakistan
and said people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had witnessed for themselves that KP ruling party had
done nothing and was only staging sit-ins and leveling false accusations.
He said the nation had got true understanding of the meanings of ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’
when he was disqualified but another politician facing the same charges was given a
certificate of honesty.
He said the PML-N had served Pakistan wholeheartedly and the results were visible to
everyone. He said that he was disqualified first and the trial was conducted later on.
He said that Tahirul Qadri was again in Pakistan to remove an elected government,
but he would ultimately be rejected by masses once again.
He said that Tahirul Qadri damaged himself, along with a ‘Ladla’ and one from Sindh.
They all would be jointly defeated in election-2018, he added.
He said the PML-N had decided to provide jobs to everyone. Similarly, houses would
be provided to shelter-less people. He said he and people were Two-in-One and no one
could separate them.
He said that he may be disqualified permanently but no one could break his bond with
the people.
He said the nation would hopefully disapprove his disqualification. He asked the people
if they were ready to accept it. The crowd raised hands, saying ‘No’ ‘No’.
He said it seemed that legal proceeding were only focused on Nawaz Sharif and added
there would be no harm if Allah Almighty and his people were with him.
He said that he is the president of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), as the law allowed
him to head a political party. There should be no breach of law, he added.
He announced that Jaranwala would be made a district. After finalizing the delimitation
process of new constituencies, he would request Shehbaz Sharif to declare it a district, he
added.
He lauded Shehbaz Sharif for undertaking huge development works in Punjab and said
that a large number of field-to-market roads had been constructed. Punjab Chief Minister
Shehbaz Sharif had done an excellent job in education and health sectors as well, he added.
He said that he would also visit other districts to restore the sanctity of vote and
provision of justice to masses.
Regarding the metro, he said Shehbaz Sharif had launched metro bus in Lahore,
Rawalpindi and Multan and the facility would also be provided in other divisional
headquarters of the province.
He asked the people to foil all conspirators and defeat them in the 2018 elections.
