PESHAWAR/SWABI: PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam has said that leaders of rival political parties should not celebrate disqualification of Nawaz Sharif because their turn is also nearing.

Addressing a meeting of party workers in Peshawar on Sunday, he said that Nawaz Sharif was not involved in corruption but he was disqualified for not taking salary from a firm owned by his son.

The event was organised to express solidarity with Nawaz Sharif. National Assembly Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javaid Abbasi, Pir Sabir Shah, MNA Dr Ibbadullah, Sar Anjam Khan, Sardar Yousuf, MPA Sardar Aurangzeb Nalota, MNA Shahabuddin Khan, Abbas Afridi, Ihsanullah and Subhan Khan were also present on the occasion.

Mr Muqam said that Nawaz Sharif was still popular among people and voters would take revenge from opposition parties in the 2018 elections. He said that Nawaz Sharif had done nothing wrong but he stepped down just to honour the decision of Supreme Court.

He said that Supreme Court gave a decree to PML-N that its leader was not involved in corruption.

He added that PML-N leaders had the right to express views in that regard because the decision astonished people.

Mr Muqam said that Nawaz Sharif tried to bring the country at par with the developed states and managed to initiate work on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to boost national economy and change fate of the poor.

He said that the former prime minister took drastic steps for restoration of peace and kept a strong check on his cabinet members so that no one could indulge in corruption.

He said that Imran nominated Sheikh Rashid as candidate for premiership about whom he himself said that he did not deserve to be appointed as peon.

He said that Imran had always taken U-turn and never materialised his commitments.

He said Imran should also be disqualified under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution for spreading false stories and defaming people without any proof. He said that Imran should acknowledge the fact that Nawaz Sharif had given him the opportunity to form government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking on the occasion, other leaders of PML-N also expressed solidarity with Nawaz Sharif and said that no force could remove him from their hearts.

In Swabi, the PML-N leaders staged a protest rally and demanded accountability of leaders of other political parties under Article 62 and 63 of Constitution after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif.

The PML-N leaders and workers gathered at government high school Swabi playground and marched to Karnal Sher Khan Chowk while chanting slogans in favour of their ousted leader.

They said that despite his disqualification by Supreme Court, services of Nawaz Sharif to the country would be remembered for ever. The nation had voted PML-N to power and their leader Nawaz Sharif brought the country out of darkness and economic crisis, they added.

The PML-N leaders said that Nawaz Sharif was still their leader and they would follow into his footprints. They alleged that leaders of PTI and JI knew only politics of sit-in and protest but they did not want the country to achieve economic prosperity and industrial development.

They said that Imran Khan was pioneer of offshore companies. “I predict that after upcoming general elections prime minister would be from PML-N,” said Liaquat Ahmad Khan, provincial leader of the party.

MPA Shiraz Khan said that PTI would face defeat in the next general elections in the province because its leadership failed to deliver.

Shiraz Akram Bacha, another PML-N leader, said that the enthusiasm shown by PML-N workers manifested that they were determined to foil the conspiracies of those people, who wanted to harm the country and PML-N leadership.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2017