File photo. Tolga Akmen—AFP
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday warned that prevailing conditions will remain very difficult for the next 1.5-2 years, but hoped the country will emerge from crises under the leadership of the incoming coalition government.
“I believe the next 1.5 or 2 years will be difficult but we have to stay united and face our opponents,” he said during an address to the PMLN’s parliamentary party meeting in Islamabad. “Pakistan will come out of the difficulties,” he vowed, lamenting the country was “badly injured” and required difficult decisions to resolve its problems.
Describing inflation as the biggest issue currently facing Pakistan, he said the incoming government would have to provide relief by reducing prices of food and utilities and stabilizing the rupee against the U.S. dollar.
In his speech, Nawaz also praised his younger brother, and the PMLN’s candidate for the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, maintaining he had dealt with immense challenges during his 16 months as prime minister. He said that if he were in the same situation, he would not have been able to complete the tenure of the National Assembly and would have proceeded to early elections.
“In the current circumstances, Shehbaz Sharif is the best choice,” he said, as he officially backed his brother for the prime minister’s slot. He also announced that Sardar Ayaz Sadiq would be the PMLN’s candidate for the speaker of the National Assembly.
Without directly naming him, the PMLN leader also lashed out at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, lamenting his use of foul language. “We invited you at every point but you exhibited uncivilized behavior in your rule,” he said, adding the PTI leader had “promoted” the politics of hatred and misguided the youth of the country.
During his address, Nawaz pledged to make motorways in Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as Punjab, where the party has formed the government under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. He then prayed for courage to serve the country together.
PMLN-led coalition
In his address to the parliamentary party, Shehbaz Sharif summarized achievements of the PMLN, reiterating that Nawaz Sharif had rid the country of an electricity crisis and given a network of motorways connecting various parts of the country.
He said that he would, with the support of coalition parties, try his best to overcome the problems facing the country. He also sought pledges from the PMLN MNAs-elect to end the woes of the country. He noted out that, after the entry of three independent candidates, the total number of PMLN seats in the National Assembly had increased to 104.