In his homecoming rally, former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif said he has “no desire for revenge” and that all institutions must work together for Pakistan to succeed.

The PML-N leader began his address by stating: “I am meeting you now after an extended period of time, but my affection for you is the same.”

In his remarks, Nawaz said that he had never betrayed his supporters nor shied from any sacrifice.

He also recalled how fake cases were framed against him and his party leaders. “But no one abandoned the PML-N flag,” he remarked.

“Tell me, who are they who separated Nawaz Sharif from his nation? We are those who built Pakistan. We made Pakistan an atomic power.”

As he lamented the country’s dire state today, the PML-N supremo also vowed to redirect Pakistan towards growth.

He further stated that if Pakistan was run on his 1990 economic model, “not a single person would have been unemployed, there would be nothing like poverty […] but today, the condition are so bad that one has to think if they can feed their children or pay electricity bills”.

Nawaz made it clear that these difficult economic circumstances predate the Shehbaz Sharif-led government and can be traced back over a long period of time.

He emphasized the need for cooperation among political actors, state institutions, and the pillar of the state.

“Everyone must work together to strengthen the Constitution and cure the disease that keeps ailing the nation.”

Nawaz said, “We need to start a new journey.”

Nawaz arrived in Islamabad from Dubai on a charter plane today. His legal team including former law minister Senator Azam Tarar and other party leaders received him at the airport.

Upon his arrival, the former PM signed legal documents and completed biometric formalities.

“The process to sign and verify legal documents has been completed,” PML-N’s Ishaq Dar posted on X.

Nawaz arrived at Lahore Fort via helicopter after completing the necessary legal procedures in Islamabad.

While talking to the media at the Dubai airport, the PML-N supremo said that he was returning to Pakistan after four years, saying that sadly the country is in a much worse situation rather than being in a good position.

“When I was leaving Pakistan and going abroad I had no feeling of happiness but today I am happy.”

“When I remember Pakistan back then, I get hurt, we had said goodbye to the International Monetary Fund, electricity was cheap, the rupee was stable, there was employment, roti cost Rs4, a poor family’s child went to school and medicines were also cheap.”

He believed that his party was competent enough to take Pakistan out of the crisis that it is presently in.

“We are competent enough to solve the problems of the country,” Nawaz said.

Minar-e-Pakistan rally

At Minar-e-Pakistan, sufficient seating arrangements have been made. Security within the premises of public meeting will be maintained by the PML-N while law enforcing personnel will remain alert outside Minar-e-Pakistan.

Moreover, the PML-N caravans are moving towards Lahore from across the country. The caravans from other parts of the country like Karachi, interior Sindh, Quetta, KPK, AJK and other far off places have started their journey through different means of transport while caravans from Punjab will move on Saturday morning, party leader Bilal Yasin said.

According to him, the PML-N has mobilised the party workers and Saturday’s rally would break all the previous records of mass participation in any political show.

The PML-N leaders and workers are converging in Lahore from all across Pakistan for the party’s grand power show to welcome supremo Nawaz Sharif, he said.

Ahead of his return to the country, the former PM secured bail by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases until October 24.

In 2018, Nawaz was sentenced to 10 and seven years in prison in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references, respectively.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb took up the case today. The bench has stopped the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting the former PM till October 24.

Moreover, an accountability court suspended Nawaz’s arrest warrant in the Toshakhana case.

Accountability court Judge Muhammad Bashir approved Nawaz’s request for suspension of his arrest warrant in the Toshakhana reference.

The judge said that the arrest warrant would be restored if the accused did not appear before the court on October 24.