——- Ex-PM says PML-N govt was replaced by PTI after rigging 2018 elections in the name of change
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed his dismay over the current state of affairs in the country, attributing it to self-inflicted mistakes rather than external factors.
“It’s not India or the US but we are in this position because of our own mistakes which damaged our country,” he said while addressing a parliamentary board meeting in Lahore.
Reminiscing about his government’s achievements, Sharif said that the country had overcome challenges such as load-shedding and terrorism by the end of 2016.
“The dollar was stable, foreign exchange reserves were at historic high and we achieved a growth rate of 6.2%,” he added.
He continued, “We made efforts to bring down the interest rate from double digits to 5.25%. Export refinancing was at 3%, and our exports were increasing. We bid farewell to the IMF. But now, where have those days gone?” Lashing out at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s policies, Sharif said that when former prime minister Imran Khan came to power, terrorism re-emerged, the value of the dollar soared, and economic growth stagnated. “We had said goodbye to the IMF but then IMF was approached on its own conditions, leading to inflation and no one can deny these facts,” he added.
Talking about the alleged rigging in the 2018 elections, the former prime minister said that despite the closure of the Result Transmission System (RTS), PML-N had a majority in Punjab. However, he added, those who were “selected” came to power with just four votes, with the help of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).
Expressing concern over the judiciary, he accused judges of historically garlanding those who violated the Constitution. “We’ve witnessed this for 70 years. We were jailed by previous judges, but the current judges disposed of those cases swiftly,” he added.
In an apparent reference to Imran Khan, Sharif said that a leader remained indulged in U-turns, rigging and lies in the name of tabdeeli (change).
Sharif concluded by urging aspiring candidates to promise that, if granted tickets, they would work towards pulling the country out of its current crisis. –Agencies
