ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that Nawaz Sharif has set a record of public service during all his tenures as the prime minister.
Talking to the media in Jaranwala on Friday, the minister gave Nawaz credit for “elimination of terrorism and power blackouts”. She said that it was during the tenures of the former prime minister that Pakistan became a nuclear power and a network of motorways was introduced in the country, besides the launch of the multi-billion dollar project – the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Taking a jibe at the joint opposition rally in Lahore, she said: “A few days ago, a rally of empty chairs was held in Lahore. People will come to know today (Saturday) what a public rally is when scores of residents of Jaranwala will fill the arena of the PML-N rally.” She said those levelling baseless allegations against Nawaz Sharif would even be able to find candidates for the upcoming election. Marriyum claimed that corruption of not even a single penny had been proven during all his stints as the prime minister. “An elected prime minister was sent packing on the basis of an iqama (work permit),” she said while referring to the high-profile Panama Papers case. She said that the verdict against Nawaz had not been accepted by the people, adding that people would vote on the basis of performance in the next elections.
The minister said that the former prime minister had initiated a campaign for the restoration of the sanctity of the vote and it would continue until the revival of justice and change in the behavior of sacking the elected prime ministers before the completion of their mandated period. She said that the people of Pakistan were showing unswerving solidarity with the former prime minister. She said that people had thrice elected him the prime minister with a heavy mandate.
Referring to the alleged foreign accounts of the killer of the minor girl in Kasur, she said that the State Bank of Pakistan had confirmed that he had no local or foreign bank account. She said that the Supreme Court had also taken notice of the incident and reiterated that the rapist and killer of the innocent child would be given harshest possible punishment.
Published in Daily Times, January 27th 2018.
