PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif addresses a press conference in Lahore on Oct. 6
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) President Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reiterated that his elder brother and party leader Nawaz Sharif will return to his homeland on Oct. 21, as he defended the performance of the PDM-led government in “saving” the state at the expense of PMLN’s political capital.
“If Allah wills, Nawaz Sharif will return to Pakistan on Oct. 21,” he said during a wide-ranging press conference in Lahore, adding questions on the schedule should now be put to rest. On performance of the former government led by him, he acknowledged that despite its best efforts, it had failed to resolve all the problems facing the general public.
Stressing the country had been on the brink of bankruptcy, he warned if the economy had not been protected, people would have suffered even more. “Petrol pumps would have been empty, medicines would have disappeared and daily necessities would not have been available,” he said, adding millions would have lost their jobs and the prevailing inflation would appear reasonable. “We discussed the provision of low-cost fuel to motorcyclists with the IMF. Our hands were tied, however, as the Washington-based lender turned down our proposal,” he regretted.
However, the PMLN president maintained, people should not panic, as better times lay ahead.
To a question, Shehbaz said Nawaz was not returning to seek “revenge,” adding his speech at Minar-e-Pakistan on his return would outline his vision for a prosperous Pakistan. To repeated follow-ups, he said he did not wish to comment on what Nawaz would say, as that was the former prime minister’s prerogative.
Summarizing the difficulties Nawaz had faced during his three tenures as prime minister, he said the PMLN leader had nonetheless ended loadshedding and terrorism and led a government that had overseen economic growth before he was ousted.
To a question, he acknowledged the popularity of Imran Khan, but said the real test lay in elections. Once electoral campaigns started in earnest, he claimed, the situation could change entirely. As an example, he recalled that the PMLN had been leading all polls ahead of the 2018 polls, but the PTI had still managed to emerge victorious in the “rigged” polls. To a follow-up on whether the PTI would be allowed to contest polls, he said the PMLN wanted free and fair elections. “Whosoever wins, the result should be acceptable to all,” he added.
Responding to a query on TV anchor Imran Riaz Khan going “missing” during the PDM government, Sharif claimed he had no knowledge of this and would respond after learning more about it.
At one point, Shehbaz was asked about his party’s previous slogan of “respect the vote,” and whether it was damaged by the perception that it had allied itself with the establishment. “Giving respect to the ballot doesn’t mean it is an anti-establishment slogan. It means serving the voters,” he said, questioning whether attacking the establishment would help resolve the people’s problems. He also sought to clarify a comment that was “wrongly attributed” to him, maintaining he had never said he was a “darling” of the establishment. “Actually, a journalist during a media interaction the other day had said that I had been a darling of the establishment for decades,” he added.
Also on Friday, Nawaz held an informal “farewell” interaction with journalists in London, telling them this would be his last meeting with them as he was returning to Pakistan. Thanking journalists for their coverage of his exile in London—whether positive or negative—he urged them to offer “constructive” criticism rather than slander.
He also referred to PTI supporters’ protests against him, questioning what that had accomplished. “If they want to protest, they should go to Pakistan and do so,” he said.
Reportedly, Nawaz will leave London next week and travel to Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to perform Umrah. He would then proceed to Dubai from where he would conclude his journey in Pakistan.