PESHAWAR, Jan 31: The present government was utilising all its energies on corruption and looting of public exchequer, alleged Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz provincial president Pir Sabir Shah.

He said that their leader Mian Nawaz Sharif saved the democratic system from derailing and provided a golden opportunity to the present government to deliver.

Certain elements were trying to derail the democratic system in the country but Mian Nawaz Sharif frustrated their conspiracies with his political acumen, he claimed.

The PML-N leader said that the so-called long march of Dr Tahirul Qadri, who enjoyed support of government, was also part of the same conspiracy but Nawaz Sharif united democratic forces to fizzle it out.

He was addressing a ceremony here on Thursday. The ceremony was organised at the residence of former MPA Nasreen Khattak wherein she announced joining PML-N.

Mr Shah said that the worst kind of democratic government was better than a dictatorial regime as in democracy rulers were answerable to the masses. He said that after remaining in power for almost five years the present rulers would approach the voters. “It is the beauty of democracy that the voters will decide their (rulers) fate on the basis of their performance,” he added.

The PML-N leader held the prolonged military rules responsible for the present crises in the country. He said that military rulers were responsible for dismemberment of Pakistan as they created problems like sectarianism, terrorism and economic instability.

Coming down hard on Gen (retired) Pervez Musharraf, he said that if the democratically elected government of Mian Nawaz Sharif had not been toppled by him Pakistan would have been a developed country.

Mr Shah recalled that after construction of motorway, the then PML-N government had planned to connect Pakistan with Central Asian Republics through an expressway passing through Afghanistan till 2005.

He said that country was facing several problems like terrorism, continuous drone strikes and attacks on Pakistani forces by Nato troops because of the unconstitutional rule of Gen Musharraf.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Khattak, who remained MPA of PPP-S from 2002 till 2007, said that the country was confronting numerous crises. She said that government failed to steer the country out of the crises. The corruption stories of the government tarnished the image of the country, she said.

PML-N provincial general secretary Rehmat Salam Khattak welcomed Ms Khattak in the party. He said that hailing from southern Karak district, Ms Khattak belonged to a political family.

He added that she had also served at different international and national organisations working as adviser and consultant and was a known social activist of the province.

Provincial president of PML-N women wing Tahira Bukhari and general secretary Shaheen Habibullah also addressed the ceremony and hoped that with the joining of Ms Khattak the party would be further strengthened in the province.