Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo Nawaz Sharif launched a tirade against Pakistan Tehreeke-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Imran Khan saying “The man who stood there and threatened to pull out an elected prime minister with a rope is now behind bars."
The PML-N chief made these remarks during the launch ceremony of the Punjab government’s "Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar" scheme in Lahore.
The deposed premier went on to say "He should be asked what he has done for the people of KP. Where are the one billion trees? Where are the big development schemes?" said Sharif, referring to Imran Khan’s promises during his tenure.
Mr Nawaz continued his critique, aiming the Punjab-KP divide. "There are talks of Punjab being invaded by KP's government—do they want to start a war between the provinces? Bloodshed will not be allowed," he warned.
Sharif also compared PML-N’s governance record with that of PTI, saying, “We said goodbye to the IMF, but our opponents brought it back. There's a stark difference between the politics of service and the politics of lies."
He accused PTI of being violent and ineffective, saying, “These people are number one in violence and zero in performance."
Reference to judiciary
Nawaz Sharif didn’t hold back when speaking about his disqualification and the judiciary's role in it. “I still have the audio of Saqib Nisar saying that Nawaz Sharif must be removed, and Imran Khan must be brought in.
But it is a shame that the nation did not question this," he remarked, referencing the former chief justice's alleged bias.
He further stated, “Five judges removed an elected prime minister representing 250 million people, and no one questioned them."
The “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” scheme
Sharif lauded the Punjab government’s "Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar" housing scheme, calling it a significant public initiative. "This project is a great example of public money being spent for the public," he said, noting that loans for the scheme would be interest-free, benefiting low-income citizens.
Sharif lamented that frequent interruptions of democratic governments had prevented long-term progress. “If we had been allowed to work, no one in Pakistan would be homeless today," he stated, highlighting the impact of political instability on development projects.
Nawaz Sharif also took the opportunity to remind the audience of PML-N's past achievements. “During our time, Pakistan saw economic stability, the rupee remained pegged at 104 for four years, and we eliminated load-shedding and terrorism. We even made Pakistan a nuclear power and gave the Orange Line project."
Concluding his speech, Sharif expressed regret over the halting progress of Pakistan due to frequent government changes. "Every time we take four steps forward, we are pushed eight steps back. If the work we started in the 1990s had continued, Pakistan would have been a prosperous nation today, envied by the world."
