In a bid to sway voters in Punjab, the country's most populous province, former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif led his party's election campaign on Thursday, urging the public to vote for him to "rebuild Pakistan."
Scheduled for February 8, the general elections have taken an unexpected turn as Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party finds itself sidelined, having been stripped of its election symbol, the cricket 'bat,' by the Supreme Court. Consequently, PTI candidates are now navigating the electoral landscape independently.
Nawaz Sharif's apparent return to the political arena marks his first public appearance in three months. Having returned from a four-year self-imposed exile in the UK in October last year, the 74-year-old leader addressed a public rally in Hafizabad, situated approximately 200 km from the provincial capital, Lahore.
During his emotional speech, Nawaz Sharif appealed the people to support him in his mission to "rebuild Pakistan." Commenting on his ousting by five judges of the apex court in 2017, the former Pak premiere asserted, "If I had not been ousted, the people of Pakistan would have been prosperous today. There would be no inflation, and the dollar would be around Rs 100."
Sharif turned politician expressed his belief that if he had not been removed from power in 1993, 1999, and 2017, Pakistan could have achieved a better global standing and emerged as an "Asian Tiger." He emphasized the missed opportunities during his tenure as he spoke on the subject.
Notably, Sharif who served as Prime Minister three times, faced a significant setback in 2017 when the Supreme Court ruled against him in the Panamagate case. Despite his long-standing political career leading the PML-N, he has repeatedly been compelled to resign mid-term.
Nawaz Sharif highlighted the economic achievements of his previous governments and called on the electorate to vote for him to "change their lives."
Meanwhile, the PTI has accused Nawaz Sharif of being the military establishment's "new favorite" and speculated that he is poised to become Prime Minister for the fourth time with its support.
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, however, refuted these claims, asserting, "There is no truth in suggestions that Nawaz Sharif is using the shoulders of the military establishment to become the premier."
Nawaz Sharif's comeback in the PML-N campaign signals a new phase in Pakistan's political scenario while voters are closely following developments as the February 8 polls approach.
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