File photo. Tolga Akmen—AFP
The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has renewed calls for accountability of the people it perceives as being responsible for “inflicting” the “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) experiment” on the country.
On Saturday, addressing a workers’ convention in Sialkot, PMLN leader Nawaz Sharif reiterated he was wrongfully punished for the Panama Papers scandal, slamming judges who were involved in issuing verdicts against them. “What was the need to conspire against us? What was the need for the judges to give a decision against us?” he said, adding a representative of millions was overthrown by the “Gang of Five”—Gen. (retd.) Qamar Javed Bajwa; Lt. Gen. (retd.) Faiz Hameed, Imran Khan, former CJP Saqib Nisar, and former CJP Asif Saeed Khosa.
“I have spent more time in prisons, exiles and trials than I did in power,” he continued, stressing that his government was “abolished without any reason.” Emphasizing that the country could not prosper without learning from the mistakes of the past, he noted that all economic indicators were better when he was ousted in 2017. He regretted that he was then replaced by someone—PTI chief Khan—who only knew how to verbally abuse opponents. “This person [Khan] destroyed our culture and society and we cannot hand over our country to such people,” he said, emphasizing that the PMLN had not done anything against the national interest despite “numerous” injustices.
Sharif’s reiterating of past grievances was a break from his speech on Oct. 21, when he addressed a “homecoming” rally in Lahore and vowed he was not interested in seeking any accountability for past offensives. The party has also expended much effort in highlighting that Sharif has returned to Pakistan to lead it on the path to economic sustainability, and is not looking to settle scores with the people he blames for his ouster and conviction.
Suggesting his speech might reflect the PMLN policy ahead of upcoming general elections, Sharif’s words were echoed a day later by PMLN leader Khawaja Asif. Addressing a workers’ convention in Sialkot, he said the PTI-led government had brought the country’s economy to the brink of disaster and ruined the “moral values” of the youth.
“The country suffered losses during the [PTI’s] four years. Those who performed the experiment should be held accountable,” he said, while claiming the PMLN could revive the economy within two years of returning to power. “Inflation will end and the economy will recover but how will the moral values be fixed?” he asked.
Further bolstering the belief the PMLN might emphasize accountability if it returns to power is a press conference of party leader Javed Latif. Addressing media last week, he maintained the party had yet to be provided a “level playing field,” and slammed the appeals still pending against Sharif’s convictions in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references.