Country about to become prosperous: Nawaz

LONDON: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif said Wednesday the country is about to achieve prosperity.

He was speaking to media and PMLN supporters at a Park Lane hotel along with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The event was organised by PMLN’s new UK President Ahsan Dar. Both of them condemned knife threat in London to Khawaja Asif, who also attended the event and spoke to workers.

Addressing the workers’ convention, the three-time former premier said: “The situation is getting improved gradually.” He recalled his ouster as the country’s prime minister, saying, “I had been disqualified for the entire life. I had been ousted from the party’s presidency.”

“Some people had put the country at stake for their own personal benefits,” he added.

He lavished his praise on the PMLN workers, saying, “The services rendered by the PMLN workers for the party are commendable. The PMLN workers are united. The country witnessed prosperity whenever the PMLN came into power. It was me who had chanted the slogan of the Asian Tiger for the country for the first time.”

He said: “Pakistan has missed G20 opportunity due to recent setbacks.”

Nawaz acknowledged the performance of Prime Minister Shehbaz-led government, saying, “Shehbaz Sharif is making all-out efforts to steer the country towards prosperity. He works days and night for the betterment of Pakistan.”

Nawaz condemned the retired judges who had sent him home some seven years ago and held them responsible for holding Pakistan back. He said these decisions had damaged Pakistan. Nawaz told the Panama case judges: “You are responsible for the destruction of Pakistan. All of you played a dirty role. Pakistan could have become the Asian Tiger today if it was not for what you did. You did a huge injustice to Pakistan, for your selfish motives.”

Nawaz said that these judges had served their petty interests and threw Pakistan under the bus.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has said that she doesn’t have the cancer as reported in some sections of media.

Maryam said: “I have been working non-stop for eight months. I have been suffering from parathyroid. This can be cured only in Swiss or America, I was in Geneva for my check-ups. I can confirm I don’t have throat cancer as reported. I didn’t want to play victim about my matter but I have been compelled to address this. I am going back to Pakistan in two days.”

Maryam said that Pakistan stock market is setting new records, and Pakistan reserves are going up. “The whole world is looking at Pakistan and want to invest in Pakistan. Every new day, we hope, will bring prosperity.”

She said: We don’t have a magic wand to get the country right. Nawaz Sharif is asked why he couldn’t become the prime minister. The fact is his brother is now the premier of Pakistan, his daughter is Punjab’s chief minister and he is leader of the team. It’s under his leadership that we saved Pakistan from being going default.”

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that PTI in overseas had radicalised its followers and had put them on a destructive path.

Earlier, workers of PTI and PMLN clashed outside Avenfield flats for about 20 minutes till the police arrived and restored calm.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed he was threatened with a knife attack in London on the Tube near Heathrow airport by a Pakistani man.

Geo News reported exclusively that the Defence Minister had been threatened with a knife attack while he was travelling with a friend on the London Underground’s Elizabeth Line on Monday afternoon. He told this reporter: “The report you aired on Geo News is right. I was threatened. The matter will be reported to the police and that process is underway. Some of the faces are recognisable. The video shows the faces.”

A source at Pakistan High Commission said that the threat will be reported to the police soon.

Earlier, sources close to the PMLN leader have confirmed the incident to The News, saying that the video showing defence minister being threatened and mistreated “is real”.

An unidentified individual, who recorded the video, verbally harassed and threatened the defence minister.

Asif is currently in London on a private visit where he also met Nawaz and Maryam.

Nawaz expressed regret over the incident, saying that such individuals have been “trained and groomed” for chasing the people.

Calling the party stalwart fighter, the PMLN chief slammed the individual who hurled abuses at him saying, “this is their fate”.

He further said that Asif has always faced every difficulty with courage.

This is not the first time that the Pakistani officials or political leaders were harassed and heckled in the British capital.

Recently, former chief justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa’s vehicle was attacked by PTI supporters at London’s Middle Temple.

Former CJP Isa’s car was stopped and banged upon by a group of PTI protesters last month when he arrived to attend a prestigious event organised by The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple for his elevation as Callee after he relinquished charge as the country’s top judge.

Likewise in Aug 2023, Judge Humayun Dilawar — who sentenced PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana — was chased by PTI supporters as he undertook a judicial training course with other judges at the University of Hull. In similar incidents, PMLN leaders Marriyum Aurangzeb and Hina Pervaiz Butt were also harassed and heckled by people, associated with the PTI, in London.