Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday vowed to remain steadfast despite hardships in pursuing the movement for restoration of sanctity of vote. Addressing party workers from Rawalpindi Division, the deposed premier questioned as to why no progress has been made in National Accountability of Bureau (NAB) cases of National Logistic Cell (NLC), National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) and Hajj scam.
He said that no action was taken against those involved in corruption of billions of rupees and there has been no progress to go after the accused. "I don't understand as to why I am under the NAB trial despite the fact that no charge of embezzlement, corruption and kickback has been proved against me," he maintained.
"When they found nothing against me, now they are going to open another NAB case against me for widening the Raiwind Road by four feet from 20 to 24 feet," he said. He also told his party workers that former military leader General Ziaul Haq had appreciated him for construction of a road when he first became the chief minister of Punjab. "General Ziaul Haq late gave me great applause when he was traveling on the road I had constructed as the first chief minister of Punjab," he said.
He further said that the NAB can only take up the cases of corruption but the cases against the Sharif family revolved around the personal business since 1974. "These are the cases when I was neither a prime minister nor chief minister and a minister," he added.
He said that former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto nationalised the steel mills unit and did not give the Sharif family a penny for the business started by them in 1937. After this, he said that his father decided to set up a steel factory in Dubai.
Nawaz Sharif said that no prime minister in Pakistan could complete his/her tenure which has been happening for the last 70 years while on the other hand in India every prime minister completed their terms.
"There is a need to think over the reasons as to why prime ministers were sent to exile, hanged and sent behind the bars," he said, adding that all these actions were taken against the elected leaders and the politicians.
He further maintained that hurdles were created to stop the elected governments from putting the country on the path of progress and economic prosperity. He also told the workers that he was sent to exile for seven years after spending 14 months in jail in Attock Fort.
He also referred to the speculations when he left for London last week to see his ailing wife, saying all the rumours died their natural death when he returned back to appear in the court.
He further said that his movement for the 'sanctity of the vote' was never for his personal interest but for the sake of 220 million people of the country, adding it was responsibility of the political leaders to stand up for the rights of people.
Sharif also announced that he together with Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shabaz and Maryam Nawaz would lead the party's election campaign under the slogan "vote ko azzat do," adding that the masses would further be mobilized for the success of the movement.
Giving details of the infrastructure and development projects started by his government, he said the CPEC was launched and projects including Neelum-Jhelum hydro project, Tarbela 4 extension project, Nandipur power projects were completed during the PML-N government.
He said that after he was ousted as the prime minister, there was a freefall in the stock exchange which dropped from 54000 points to 37,000 points in just three months.
He said that power load-shedding was the major issue when the PML-N government came into power, adding that the shortages have ended to a large extent and up to 10000MW electricity has been added to the system.
He further said that the country's economy grew to 5.3 percent in 2017 and it is projected to grow up to 5.9 percent.
He further said that the PML-N government has succeeded in defeating the terrorism, adding that due to the sacrifices of the armed forces and police personnel, law and order has been improved. He further said that peace has also been restored in Karachi.
He also gave credit to his government for completion of new Islamabad airport, which will be inaugurated in May.
He recalled that there was a time when all the leading foreign airlines landed in Pakistan but now just few come to Pakistan, adding that more foreigners should come to Pakistan. "We should find the reasons as to why the world turned away from us," he added. He said those who left the party never belonged to PML-N and those persons were seasonal birds who flew away as the elections are approaching.