LAHORE – Former prime minister and PML-N president Nawaz Sharif said that Imran Khan is not the only culprit; those who brought him to power are equally responsible.
He said the party has set a record of public service and saved Pakistan from moral and social bankruptcy.
Addressing newly elected members of the assembly in Lahore following their success in the by-elections, Nawaz Sharif congratulated them and said that, by the grace of Allah, lies, abuse, rudeness, ill-manners, and chaos had been defeated.
He said the public voted for PML-N based on performance, adding that those who called for an election boycott ultimately contested the polls and lost.
Criticizing the previous government, the PML-N president said not a single development project was launched during its tenure. He claimed the country faced destruction, a culture of intolerance was promoted, foreign policy was ruined, merit was undermined, and Pakistan was pushed to the brink of bankruptcy. Had the pace of development continued, he said, Pakistan would hold a stronger position in the world today.
Nawaz Sharif said PML-N has launched development projects in every era. He added that merit now prevails, institutions are working diligently, inflation has declined due to government measures, Pakistan has been saved from default, and the Punjab and federal governments are working day and night.
He said those who labeled others as thieves and robbers were themselves proven to be corrupt. He added that efforts are underway to restore stability, and in the past one and a half years, PML-N has set a record of public service and rescued Pakistan from moral and social collapse.
Nawaz Sharif reiterated that Imran Khan is not alone in wrongdoing and that those who facilitated him share equal blame. He questioned how any nation could progress amid unrest, arson, and chaos.
Highlighting improvements in Punjab, Nawaz Sharif said law and order in the province has significantly improved. He added that 120,000 houses are being built for the poor, free healthcare is being provided, new hospitals are under construction, green buses are operating in every district, and overall conditions have become much better.
It may be recalled that in Sunday’s by-elections, PML-N won all six National Assembly seats and secured six out of seven Provincial Assembly seats.
