No revenge, only service: Nawaz

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif made it clear in his homecoming speech at the iconic Minar-e-Pakistan grounds on Saturday that he did not want to take revenge from anyone, rather serve the Pakistani people with the cooperation of all political parties and institutions.

He made a long speech, revealing his agenda for steering the country out of perpetual crises and the upcoming general election.

The three-time former prime minister was residing in London for the past four years due to a self-imposed exile after he was allowed to travel to the British capital in 2019 on health grounds.

“I do not want to take revenge,” said Nawaz, dispelling rumours that he would adopt a confrontational policy in the lead-up to the general election. He kick-started his party’s campaign for the next year’s election in a rally of thousands after landing in Islamabad, where he signed and filed appeals against the convictions he was jailed for before he left the country in 2019.

The PMLN supremo said: “I am talking with much restraint today so that I may not utter the words that I’m not supposed to.” However, added, “We should not allow anyone to play with the country’s fate in the future.”

While he cannot run for or hold public office because of his convictions, Nawaz promised to tackle the record inflation. “I don’t have the slightest wish for a revenge but all I wish is to see no poverty or illiteracy in the country,” said the 73-year-old veteran politician in his address.

“I am meeting you after a long time, but my love for you remains intact. You have never betrayed me and I have never betrayed you,” he told the crowds, wearing his signature red scarf.

Nawaz said his spirits to serve the country had not died even after four years. “We’ll have to decide how to regain the lost status,” the former premier said while vowing to resolve the country’s issues.

Nawaz also hinted at mending the country’s ties with India, saying that “we can’t progress under conflict with the neighbours”. He said Pakistan would have to move ahead “with grace and tactics” for resolution of the Kashmir issue.

He said he served the country with loyalty whenever he was given a chance and resolved the issues of Pakistan and never hesitated from any sacrifice.

The former premier regretted the “false” cases against him, Shehbaz, Maryam, and other PML-N leaders.

The PML-N supremo recalled making Pakistan a nuclear power and “ending” load-shedding in the country during his time as the prime minister. “Do you remember those 18 hours of loadshedding? Who ended it?” he asked, noting that it was under his leadership that the power issue was resolved.

He then showed the bill as well, which has now skyrocketed due to the rupee-dollar parity and a rise in fuel prices.

The former premier stressed that “some wounds never heal”, saying that “the loved ones who pass away never come back”. He was referring to the passing away of his mother and wife when he was facing legal battles.

He said these women won’t be there to receive him at home like they did in the past. He recalled the time when he was given the news of his wife’s passing.

Sharing his ordeal in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, the three-time former premier said Maryam lost consciousness when he told his daughter about the death of her mother. The elder Sharif said: “I am a true Pakistani.”

Talking about Pakistan’s nuclear tests on May 28, 1998, the former premier said that then-United States president Bill Clinton and other world leaders had been pressurising and refraining him from the tests and offered $5 billion but he refused the offer and made Pakistan a nuclear state.

Without taking the name of deposed premier Imran Khan, the elder Sharif asked: “Could he have dared to refuse the US president?”

“Clinton had offered $5 billion to me in 1999 for not carrying out nuclear tests, but my conscience did not allow me to accept which was against the interest of Pakistan,” he added.

He maintained that they still conducted the nuclear tests and gave India a befitting response.

The PMLN supremo said no one in Pakistan would have been unemployed if his party had been allowed to continue the 1990s momentum. “I was ousted because I didn’t allow the dollar rate to fluctuate,” he said.

Nawaz lamented that due to the ongoing economic crisis, “one has to decide whether to pay electricity bills or take care of one’s children”. “People are committing suicide and borrowing money to pay the bills.”

“[During my tenure] the poor had enough financial resources to [at least] seek healthcare and get one treated.”

“This didn’t start in Shehbaz’s tenure. it started way before that. The dollar was out of control, bills were going up, and rates of daily utilities and petrol were also surging. During our tenure, sugar was 50 rupees per kilogram, today it is at 250.”

“This is why you ousted Nawaz Sharif?” the former prime minister said while criticising his disqualification in 2017.

“Pakistan was on its way to becoming an Asian Tiger, we were preparing to ensure Pakistan’s inclusion in the G20.”

“A lot of countries which were trailing us are now leading us. We have been left behind. Not only do we have to catch up with those countries but in fact have to surpass them.”

Turning his guns towards arch-rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Nawaz slammed the sit-ins staged by the former ruling party. “I am addressing any political gathering after a gap of six years as I faced cases for two years.” “I have come today with electricity bills from May 2016 during my tenure as PM when there were sit-ins but we were busy doing our work. “You know who was orchestrating the sit-ins? But we ensured electricity to your homes despite the sit-ins,” Nawaz said. Moving on to the skyrocketing inflation, the PMLN supremo said roti was being sold for Rs4, sugar at Rs50 per kilogram and petrol at Rs60 per litre in his tenure. “US dollar was at Rs104,” he said, adding that they did not let the local unit fall against the greenback. He once again raised questions over his disqualification as prime minister and asked the participants if they agreed with the verdicts against him.

“I was ousted from the Prime Minister’s Office for not taking salary from my son,” he added.

Commenting on the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Palestine, Nawaz said: “We condemn the barbarism, and brutalisation of Palestinians. May Allah help Palestine.”

“We urge the world [powers] to ensure a [viable] solution to Palestine [issue].”

Earlier, former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, while speaking at the public meeting, said he was thankful to all those who came there to welcome Nawaz Sharif. He said the crowd represented the entire country.

He said Nawaz was the name of a passion, struggle and builder of the country. “Nawaz Sharif was handcuffed, sent to jails and exiles, but did not leave his struggle and tolerance,” he said, adding that the May-9 incident was beyond imagination of entire nation. Not a single pot was broken during Nawaz Sharif’s struggle. He also tweeted: “Nawaz Sharif Ji Ayan Noun”.

Also, PMLN Chief Organiser and Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz said on Saturday her father and party Quaid endured more hardships than any other leader in Pakistan. Taking to microblogging website X, formerly Twitter, she said: “Today is perhaps the biggest day of my life; I am thankful to the Almighty. No one has endured as many hardships as Nawaz Sharif in the last 24 years.”

She said some of Nawaz Sharif’s wounds would never heal. Yet he had experienced many highs also than anyone else, she added. “Pakistan is ready to witness another rise of Nawaz Sharif In-sha-Allah. Come, our eyes await you. Welcome Nawaz Sharif.”

Later, addressing the public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan, she said Nawaz Sharif was once again present among his people. Maryam said what PMLN faced was not political revenge but height of brutality. She said the PMLN leadership only survived because people of Pakistan were with them and Nawaz Sharif would not forget that.

“They wanted to kill Nawaz Sharif, but Allah foiled all their plans and today Nawaz Sharif is back in his country with dignity and honour,” she added.

Emotional scenes were witnessed after the PMLN leader appeared on the stage. Maryam Nawaz hugged her father with wet eyes and later touched his father’s feet to pay her respect. Other PMLN leaders also stood up and individually met their leader. Nawaz Sharif held hands of both Maryam Nawaz and Hamza and raised them in the air.

Online adds: PMLN senior leader and former finance minister Ishaq Dar said if people gave the party an opportunity, it would make Pakistan an economic power. “It takes time to set economy right. It is not magic wand that the whole economy will be corrected by moving the wand,” he said in a statement issued here on Saturday.

He said Panama was a drama. One was to be imposed on the country. The country was devastated by lowering the national economy from 24th number to 47th number, he added.

PMLN Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Saturday Nawaz Sharif would become the prime minister of Pakistan for the fourth time.

Addressing a press conference at Minar-e-Pakistan, she said Pakistan would write a new history today with the homecoming of Nawaz Sharif after four years.