ALI HUSSAIN & FAZAL SHER
RAWALPINDI: The ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who embarked on a home journey from the federal capital on Wedn-esday, said that he has presented himself before the ‘people court’ and that his ouster was a ‘disrespect’ of the people’s mandate.
Addressing party workers here at Committee Chowk, a constituency of his arch opponent PTI Chairman Imran Khan, he urged the crowd to pledge with him that they will not let their mandate disrespected in such a way. “Promise me you will not allow [anybody] to insult your prime minister in such a manner,” he further told his supporters who responded with “Wazir-e-Azam [prime minister] Nawaz Sharif.”
“The people of Rawalpinid did not accept the verdict against me and the decision of [people of] Rawalpindi is the decision of the entire nation,” he told his supporters while referring to the apex court last month verdict in which the court disqualified him as the prime minister. “This is disrespect of your mandate,” he further told his supporters, adding, “It needs to respect mandate of the people if you want to change the country.”
He also told the party workers that their rights would be “snatched” in such a way if they did not protect their rights. He also stated that he would leave it on the history to decide about the grounds under which he was disqualified. “I am just leaving for my home and I never wanted you to get my restoration,” he further said.
The former premier lamented that no prime minister in the history of the country was allowed to complete his term. “A joke has been made with the nation for the last 70 years,” he said, adding the nation does not like this.
He said that prime ministers were hanged, jailed and sent home in the past. It is against the sanctity of the vote and public mandate, he added. “Unless the public mandate is not respected, Pakistan cannot prosper,” he said. He asked participants of the rally to pledge that they will support him so that no one is allowed to violate the sanctity of vote.
He claimed not only the people of Pakistan but the entire world has rejected the apex court decision.
He urged people to support him for the cause of development of the country. He vowed to change the destiny of the poor. He claimed that he is facing no corruption case, adding even there is no allegation of corruption against him.
He said his government was not allowed to work. He said that his government faced sit-in and organizers of the sit-in were busy hatching conspiracies against his government.
He said he was working for the development of the country. “By the grace of God, I made motorways and a network of roads has been spread in every corner of the country,” he added.
Nawaz Sharif claimed that Rawalpindi belongs to PML-N only. He claimed that mammoth gathering of people has proved that Rawalpindi has rejected the decision of the Supreme Court.
He claimed that he was disqualified for not taking salary from the company of his son. He said this is for the third time that he was not allowed to complete his term as a prime minister. He said that PML-N has eliminated electricity load-shedding and terrorism, adding load-shedding will become a history in next year.
He claimed if he was not disqualified, he would have eliminated unemployment from the country. He claimed that Pakistan was moving towards development but due to this case, the country is suffering and moving towards backwardness.
“We took stock market to new heights of 54,000 points due to sound economic policies. During last few weeks, decrease of 10,000 has been witnessed in the stock market. Pakistan was moving forward in right direction but suddenly country started moving backward,” he said.
Earlier, the ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday embarked on home journey with thousands of party supporters from Islamabad to Lahore amid tight security arrangements.
The rally headed by the former prime minister would travel on Grand Trunk (GT) Road before reaching his Raiwind residence in Lahore.
The former premier departed Punjab House in a bullet-proof BMW SUV, bearing registration No SS-875, at around 12:00pm, three hours after the scheduled time mainly because of thin crowd.
He was welcomed by PML-N workers, majority of them were from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at D-Chowk before departing to Rawalpindi via Jinnah Avenue amid tight security arrangements.
Sharif, who was disqualified by the Supreme Court last month in Panama Papers case, had decided to leave the federal capital for his Lahore residence in a rally what his opponents, especially PTI chairman Imran Khan, described an attempt to undermine the state institutions, especially the judiciary.
A bombproof container is also accompanying Nawaz Sharif’s motorcade to be used for delivering speeches at different points on the GT Road during the journey.
The former premier held consultative meeting with senior party leaders including Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and others at Punjab House before leaving for Lahore.
In a brief chat with reporters at Punjab House, Sharif maintained that his journey to Lahore was not a ‘power show’, adding he was not going anywhere and that he has to complete a ‘century.’
PM Abbasi saw the former premier off while he left from the back gate of Punjab House, disappointing some of his supporters who had gathered to see him off as well at the main gate.
At around 4:20pm, the convoy of Nawaz Sharif arrived Shakarparian, Islamabad, covering around 10 kilometres in four hours and 20 minutes - a strategy already devised to move slowly towards Rawalpindi. He was welcomed by the party workers at Faizabad Interchange at around 5:50pm where his supporters chanted slogans in his favour and also was showered with rose petals from helicopter as pamphlets were also dropped carrying slogans in favour of Nawaz Sharif.
Nawaz Sharif replied his supporters by waving hands from inside his bullet-proof BMW and did not step out from his vehicle, as he was reportedly scheduled to address the party workers at Faizabad Interchange.
However, addressing the party workers, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi said that he would accompany his leader, Nawaz Sharif, till Lahore even if it takes a year to reach there.
He also lashed out at PTI Chairman Imran Khan, calling him a ‘proclaimed offender’. “There is a proclaimed offender roaming at large, beat him up wherever you see him,” he told the party workers in an apparent reference to Imran Khan.
Cabinet members such as Khawaja Saad Rafique, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Talal Chaudhry, Abid Sher Ali and other senior PML-N leaders were also accompanying the former premier.
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan who was earlier reported to be on the driving seat of Nawaz Sharif did not accompany him from Punjab House, Islamabad, to Rawalpindi. However, party insiders said that Nisar along with his supporters would welcome Sharif upon reaching his constituency today (Thursday).
Former PM Nawaz Sharif’s rally reached Murree Road at 6:20pm where his supporters in a large number welcomed him. Sharif also changed his schedule of the rally and decided to stay at Punjab House in Rawalpindi instead of Jhelum.
Meanwhile, tight security arrangements were put in place in the twin cities with heavy deployment of police in uniform and civvies, while Elite Force commandos were also deployed on the route. Air surveillance of the rally was carried out through helicopters.
Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, who was leading the motorcade to monitor security, told reporters that measures have been undertaken to ensure security of the participants as well as leaders.
He said that a mobile health unit has been prepped for the rally, which includes a team of doctors who will provide medical services to the participants, if needed.
He said that leaders such as Nawaz Sharif cannot stay away from the people, adding people at different locations were stopping Nawaz Sharif to welcome him. He said that Nawaz Sharif motorcade will reach Lahore in two to three days.
