MUZAFFARGARH/MULTAN - PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif on Friday demanded action against former president Pervez Musharraf according to the law, saying he was a national criminal and should not be freed because he had damaged the national institutions.
Addressing a public gathering in Kot Addu, Nawaz said Pakistan was facing many serious problems like corruption, hunger, starvation, unemployment and injustice and claimed he had the vision to resolve all the issues.
Nawaz said his party would come to power with the public support to serve the masses devotedly. If voted to power, he would not sit in the Prime Minister’s House, but live with the people to solve their problems. “Rely on us and vote for PML-N for the continuity of the policies started by Shahbaz Sharif for public welfare and prosperity,” he said, adding Shahbaz wanted to become federal minister for water and power to overcome the energy crisis.
He urged the public to vote for PML-N candidates as they had the excellent track record of public service. He said: “We will introduce new policies to end unemployment and give loans to skilled people, besides overcoming the energy crisis. “Smooth supply of irrigation water will be ensured for the promotion of agriculture sector and special projects introduced for Cholistan,” he said.
There were no bomb blasts and loadshedding of gas and electricity in the country during his era, but the PPP-led government had dragged the country into this crisis, he alleged. “PML-N will restore the national pride and accelerate progress in every field. We are overburdened by foreign loans which badly damaged our economy. The PML-N will work hard to overcome the crisis for the better future of the nation,” the former premier said.
He said Shahbaz Sharif as the Punjab chief minister started various projects of public welfare. “We want to continue our public service policies to make the country a developed state,” he said. He vowed to root out corruption.
He demanded action against former president Pervez Musharraf according to the law, saying he was a national criminal and should not be freed because he had damaged the national institutions. He said his government would keep cordial relationship with the army, but the past chapter should be closed and no such move as had disfigured the Constitution should happen in future.
He noted business community was the backbone of the economy, and deplored that no steps were taken during the five years to overcome the energy crisis. Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf gifted electricity loadshedding to this country and the PPP-led government followed the suit by not taking any steps to solve the problem. He showed determination to serve the masses. In an indirect criticism of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, Nawaz said, “I did play cricket, but it was not everything for me. I made the country an atomic power, too.”
He said, “Musharraf gifted loadshedding, lawlessness and extremism while Asif Ali Zardari wasted five precious years. He came down hard on the outgoing PPP government for destroying Pakistan International Airlines, Pakistan Railways, Pakistan Steel Mills and other state institutions through ill-managed policies. He said his party would adopt vivacious economic plans and bring a revolution of development with the assistance of the youth.
In Multan, Nawaz Sharif said his party, if came to power, would give jobs to the youth, connect Multan to the entire country through a motorway and launch a $10 billion bullet-train project.
He announced this while addressing a big election rally here at Divisional Sports Ground. He gave a surprise to his workers by ordering removal of bulletproof glass from the rostrum.
The PML-N chief further said Multan would be developed to the level of Lahore and this town would be the next venue of launching Metro bus project. He added the power loom industry in Multan would be given a boost. He said the bullet train would cover the distance from Karachi to Peshawar in just seven hours. He declared his government would start work on eliminating loadshedding immediately after coming to power.
He lashed out at PPPP, saying their election campaign ran only on TV. “You can go to the masses if you have served the masses,” he maintained. He said today the nation was facing 18-hour loadshedding while the entire business and industry had collapsed in the country.
Hhe said there was no loadshedding in the country during his regime and the entire country was peaceful. “The motorway was being constructed, the masses got yellow cabs and we answered Indian blasts with six nuclear blasts,” he added.
He said he wanted to give jobs to every youngster. For this purpose, his government would set up branches of dozens of banks in Multan, he added. “These banks will process your applications within weeks and give loans on soft conditions,” he promised. He further announced that Shujabad would be made a tax free zone.
National Assembly candidates of PML-N, Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan and Sheikh Tariq Rasheed, also spoke on this occasion.