“People have to forcibly get their rights if they are not given their rights.[And] I will get you your rights,” Nawaz Sharif

“People have to forcibly get their rights if they are not given their rights.[And] I will get you your rights,” Nawaz Sharif

BAHAWALPUR(By Fazal Hameed Ahmad)Gaining confidence from the public support being seen at his party’s rallies, ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has moved a step further from wailing and cursing judiciary as he’s talking of snatching one’s rights from those who deny them.

“People have to forcibly get their rights if they are not given their rights. [And] I will get you your rights,” the ex premier – who has also been deprived of his party’s headship – told a rally in Bahawalpur.

“People of Bahawalpur have created a history today. I have never witnessed such big crowd in Bahawalpur before,” he said. “Our political rivals are astonished at the number of people gathered in Bahawalpur to support PML-N,” he added.

“They [judges and political opponents] say Nawaz Sharif has been ousted forever,” he said and asked the attendants, “Is this acceptable for you?”

The former prime minister said the huge support for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was a public referendum before the general elections. Also, he said, it was a way of people to hold their detractors accountable.

His daughter Maryam Nawaz also addressed the rally, bashing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan for what she said selling out PTI senators to Asif Zardari through Balochistan chief minister.

She also alleged the judiciary of having double standards – penalising Nawaz despite innocence and letting Imran off the hook even over stark illegalities.

Nawaz Sharif in his address repeated his oft-repeated stance of being disqualified by the Supreme Court without doing any wrong, as he said he was ousted just because he did not receive salary from his son’s UAE-based firm. He asked what difference it had made if he had received the salary.

“They not only disqualified me from premiership but also disqualified me as president of my party; and now they want to disqualify me forever,” he said. He said that over the past 70 years the people of Pakistan have been through a lot of hurdles and many injustices have been done to them. Pakistan would not prosper unless we learn from the past, he added. He said that “we have to decide that we will not let our vote be disrespected anymore”, and sought promise from the people to help him in this cause.

Nawaz then went on to recount PML-N government’s development feats. He said their work during the past four and a half years was severely restrained by their opponents, who staged prolonged sit-ins, held processions against government and dragged them in the courts.

Despite all that, he said, terrorism has been rooted out, inflation curtailed and economy stabilised. He said when they took over power the energy crisis had become almost unmanageable and electricity was nowhere to be found

The ex-premier said now electricity was available to everyone and factories were running. He added that tube-wells were running on subsidised power, while fertiliser was also made available on subsidised rates. Moreover, he said, the PML-N has built motorways and farm-to-market roads, making it easier for the farmers to deliver their produce to the markets.

In three to four months a six-lane motorway, passing through Bahawalpur, will be completed which will make travelling to Lahore very convenient, Nawaz said. He also said that like Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan, Metro Bus would be started in Bahawalpur also.

Nawaz Sharif said if brought to power again, the PML-N will provide jobs to unemployed educated youth. He also promised house for every homeless, saying his party was already working on a policy in this regard.

Maryam Nawaz , in her address, strongly criticised Imran for announcing support for Pakistan Peoples Party candidate in the March 12 election for Senate chairman and deputy chairman. Imran had forged an underhand deal with PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, she alleged.

She said that PTI chief, who had been bashing Zardari until few days ago, has now given up all their 12 senators to him through Balochistan CM Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo. A party which got 7 million votes in 2013 general elections “sold” its senators to a person (Bizenjo), who got only 500 votes in the election, she said.

Maryam also criticised Supreme Court’s decision to regularise Imran’s Bani Gala home upon payment of fine, saying such a lopsided decision was unacceptable.

She repeated the call of her father for restoring the “respect” to public mandate. She claimed that Nawaz Sharif was the only person in the world who was facing “vengeance” even though nothing was proven against him.

She said PML-N is the biggest political party of the country and has emerged as the single largest party in the Senate despite all the tactics of its opponents.