Nawaz Sharif, the president of the PML-N and a former prime minister, demanded on Wednesday that “those who brought Imran” into power be held accountable, calling them more “criminals” than the PTI founder.
Speaking to a group of recently elected parliamentarians today, the PML-N leader declared, “Imran Khan was not the only criminal; the ones who brought him to power were the bigger criminals, and they should be held fully accountable.”
Since the PML-N formed a coalition with the PPP and took office following the 2024 elections, Nawaz has largely kept a quiet profile.
According to data from Pakistan’s Election Commission, the PTI won 115 of the 270 National Assembly seats up for election in 2018, making it the biggest political party in the nation.
Shehbaz, the leader of the PML-N, raised accusations of electoral manipulation during a parliamentary session that followed the election of then-prime minister Imran. He questioned the finding of voting papers from gutters and streets around the nation, claiming that 1.6 million ballots were rejected.
“You are familiar with their (PTI) storyline; they used to refer to others as dacoits and robbers while they were the larger thieves.”
“They only indulged in chaos, anarchy and fights, including slandering others,” Nawaz continued, adding that the nation’s citizens are now aware of what the former administration did.
He questioned if a nation could advance in such conditions and with such individuals occupying the halls of power.
The PML leader bemoaned the fact that the nation was progressing with low inflation and faster growth rates before the 2018 election.
When Pervez Musharraf declared martial law in 1999, the Saudi riyal was around Rs. 11, but as one audience member pointed out, it is currently worth about Rs. 78. Nawaz recalled this. He claimed that Pakistanis could no longer afford their way of life due to currency depreciation.
The leader of the PML-N also stated that Pakistan’s dependence on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) prevents it from making decisions on its own.
Who knows where we would be today if our rate of advancement had stayed the same. Nawaz stated that there will be no concerns regarding foreign exchange or the IMF.
We are now concerned about our reserves and whether or not the IMF will allow us to accomplish this. We are unable to make any decisions on our own. Foreigners make our personal decisions,” he said.
The PML-N leader praised PM Shehbaz and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for their efforts to “reach the level that we had lost” and asserted that voters chose the party based on its performance.
He said that the administration had “taken the economy out of the trenches” and moved the nation away from default, and that the two were “working hard” to restore economic stability.
Low-cost housing, hospital projects, student laptops, scholarships, the “Suthra Punjab” and green bus efforts, among other provincial programs, are examples of development, according to Nawaz.
Additionally, he emphasised Punjab’s “improved security and social protection,” noting that disadvantaged families were receiving health facilities and ration cards without prejudice.