LAHORE – Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said that the city’s voters had made him the prime minister but “five people sent him home”.
The ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif said while addressing and thanking his supporters at Data Darbar, as his caravan arrived in Lahore from Gujranwala late on Saturday, the fourth and last day of his ‘homecoming’ rally, which had set off from Islamabad on August 9.
“We will back the recommendation of Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani to strengthen parliament by inviting the prime minister, senior army officers, bureaucracy and Supreme Court chief justice and hold an inter-institutional dialogue”, he confirmed. The former premier planned to announce his next step on August 14.
The former PML-N chief, in his final address, after various stopovers during a four-day rally, said that in the entire history of the country not one prime minister was allowed to complete their tenure and were removed under a conspiracy.
“All prime ministers were removed. Were all of them corrupt,” asked Nawaz.
He asked if the dictators who “have eaten away 30 years of Pakistan” will ever be held accountable.
He implored his supporters to take a stand against this treatment of prime ministers, saying “there is no country [in the world] like Pakistan where there is no importance of the votes of the masses”.
Condemning the blast near Quetta’s Pishin Stop,Nawaz Sharif said that he is extremely saddened over the death of common citizens and security personnel in the blast. The former premier expressed sympathies for the families of those affected.
Earlier on Saturday, the ex-PM sought to enlist the help of his party workers for bringing revolution in the country.
Addressing a mammoth crowd in Muridke where he stopped on the final leg of his journey to Lahore, former premier claimed that the verdict of disqualification brought a bad name to the country.
The former chief executive once again raised concerns on Saturday regarding his disqualification by a five-member bench of the supreme court in Panama verdict.
“This is a joke. Pakistanis reject this decision. I will see to it that your vote is respected. PML-N will see to it,” Nawaz vowed.
He expressed that people of Pakistan voted in my favour and sent me Islamabad but I was forced out of PM House in a shameful manner.
‘There is no corruption against me, no irregularities, no discrepancies,’ he said to the crowd.
He inquired from the crowd whether they had accepted the decision of the top court adding that he would not betray his followers.
“I was serving the country and its people. I was building roads and motorways. Balochistan was progressing; young people were starting to get employment. If I had been allowed to complete my tenure, there would have been no unemployment in this country,” he claimed.
The former premier maintained that the mandate of the people had never been respected for the past 70 years.
After having built his case by highlighting the achievements of government under his chair, Nawaz Sharif coined the term ‘revolution’ for the first time during his GT Road show.
“Shouldn’t there be a revolution?” he said. “Are you ready for a revolution?” he asked.
“Will you stand by Nawaz Sharif in the revolution?” he asked, inviting cheers of “yes!”
“I know Muridke will stand by what is right. They will not bow down.”
“Stand by me when my message reaches you,” he urged. “Do not let your passion die. Do you promise to stand with me?” he asked, prompting cheers of “we will!”
After his address in Muridke, Nawaz Sharif started his journey towards Lahore and is expected to address another gathering at Kala Shah Kaku.
Moreover, multiple spots have been designated in Lahore city for the former premier to address the masses who would be arriving in the city in around two hours.
The metro bus would partially remain suspended in the city as the roads leading to Data Darbar have been sealed ahead of Nawaz Sharif’s arrival.
The former premier is expected to address a mammoth crowd near the Data Darbar where a stage has been set up.
Earlier, while chairing a consultative meeting of his party members, Nawaz Sharif claimed that the plan for his removal was made long ago and he could simply do nothing to foil it.
‘Conspiracies were hatched against me during the four years of current government’ he said and added that he knew such treatment ould be meted out to him.
The rally that took off from Islamabad on Wednesday with scores of vehicles and motorcyclist ended up in Gujranwala on Friday where the former premier addressed a huge crowd calling upon the masses to help him rebuild Pakistan.
Nawaz Sharif expressed that the five judges, who disqualified him in the Panama papers case removed him from post but they could not remove him from the heart of the masses.
“Will you bring back Pakistan’s honour?” he asked his supporters. “Will you demand that your vote hold its value?” he asked to resounding cheers.
“Was it because I eliminated load-shedding? Was it because the economy was improving? Was it because people were getting jobs? Was it because roads were being constructed and factories were being set up?
“Or was it because peace was being brought to the country?” he asked, to a resounding “no!” at each question.
“These things did not suit them [the conspirators],” he continued. “They could not tolerate this. They were thinking: ‘If this continues, Nawaz will be elected again.”
“Tell me, people of Gujranwala: was this not what they were thinking,” he asked to a resounding “yes!”
“There have been conspiracies for the past three and a half years. When our progress sped up, the conspiracies also sped up.”
“There is [still] no allegation of corruption against me. There is not a rupee of corruption linked to my name — even those who disqualified me admit that,” he claimed.
“Then why did they remove me?”
“I turned this country into an atomic power. Is this how you treat someone who did that for his country?”
“They removed me twice from power before; and this time, again, I was not allowed to complete my tenure,” he railed.
“Does the vote of 200 million count for nothing?” he asked.
“If there is any value in your vote, you will have to hold these people accountable,” he urged.
“Pakistan’s 70th birthday is around the corner. You should take an oath to never let this happen again,” he said. “And when the people of Gujranwala take an oath, they stand by it. I know,” he said to loud cheers.
“All those who gave the verdict [against me], look at Gujranwala’s verdict!” he raged. “They do not accept it!”
“O people of Gujranwala! I know you will not disappoint me. I have faith in you and I am proud of you. I will stand by you as we do it together.”
“Take an oath today. Say, we will do this together!”
“Do you accept what I say? Answer me!” he roared, inviting loud cheers of “We accept!” and “We are with you!”
Earlier, the same day, former premier addressed a mammoth crowd at Gujrat as well.
In his address, he questioned the participants if they had accepted the Supreme Court’s verdict to depose him from the premiership.
The former premier mentioned his credentials during his third tenure as the premier and inquired from his followers whether they were rented or were there out of free will?
“Everyone would have become employed if I had stayed,” he claimed while kicking off his speech.
The former premier expressed that even the judges who heard the Panama case admitted that he (Nawaz Sharif) was not involved in corruption.
Basking in the warmth of a reception extended by his party members, Nawaz Sharif said that millions of people elected him as PM and a few people disqualified him.
The killing of Child by Motorcade
A nine-years-old boy was crushed to death when one of the vehicles in Nawaz Sharif’s motorcade ran over him near Gujrat.
The boy identified as Hamid was a resident of Rehmat Abad town of Lala Musa who was run over by a vehicle of Elite force, part of PML-N’s motorcade heading towards Lahore.
Unfortunately, none of the rescue vehicles, part of the convoy stopped to give treatment to the boy, in a bid to save his life.
Rehmat’s uncle said that a vehicle bearing number 265 rammed into the boy who his life.
Daughter of former premier Nawaz Sharif took to Twitter and expressed that the local leadership has been asked to reach out to the family of the boy.
Nawaz also expressed his grief at the death of boy run over by his convoy earlier in the day. He promised that he would visit the child’s family himself and provide them help and support throughout their lifetime.
