People now realize PML-N's slogan of 'give respect to vote': Nawaz

SAHIWAL: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Tuesday said people's enthusiasm at the public meeting showed that every Pakistani had now realized the PML-N's slogan of "Give respect to vote".

Addressing a mammoth public meeting here at Sheikh Zafar Ali Stadium, the former prime minister said the Lahore public meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had no match with today's PML-N gathering, as that meeting was like ‘Jalsa Lahore da, te majma Peshawar da aur agenda kisi hor da’ (It was a public meeting of Lahore but participants were from Peshawar, with agenda of someone else).

Nawaz Sharif said the 'Ladla' (Imran Khan) was a total failure as he had claimed of making 'a new Pakistan' but he could not develop the of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (where his party was in government) and its capital Peshawar.

The PTI chief, he said, had been making tall claims of adding more electricity into the system but delivered nothing on all fronts. The PML-N, however, had the credit of adding significant electricity into the system that was unprecedented in Pakistan's history, besides laying a vast network of motorways and highways as well as ensuring other infrastructural development across the country, he added.

It was again the PML-N government that had not only ensured peace in Karachi and Balochistan by eliminating the menaces of terrorism and extremism through a well-conceived strategy, he said and added that he had also initiated the mega developmental projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The PML-N Quaid said Sahiwal now had a modern university, a medical college and a coal power plant, and it would also be connected to the motorways network, if the PML-N was elected again.

He alleged that the PTI chairman had 'sold' his party members, who in the Senate election voted for the Pakistan People's Party candidate. He acted like a 'stooge' by voting for others and the people must beware of such stooges, and vote only for the PML-N which had the track record of public service, ensuring their prosperity and that of the country, Nawaz added.

He claimed that Asif Zardari would not oppose Imran and vice versa as they had some secret understanding.

However, they could not fool the people, he said, adding that those who had embezzled billions of rupees from the national exchequer in the past and even exploited Haj pilgrims should be held accountable.

Nawaz Sharif said the PML-N had never compromised on the nation’s dignity and Pakistan's sovereignty even during the times of turmoil and that was why the people should again vote the party into power. He assured that if elected again, his party would provide shelter to the homeless.

"Sahiwal is my bhaiwal (partner/companion)," he said and urged its people to actively vote for the PML-N and turn the next general election into a referendum.

Earlier, Maryam Nawaz said Imran Khan played the role of a 'guest actor' in every election and he would disappear after the upcoming general election. The PML-N would continue its journey of selfless public service and upholding the country's dignity, she vowed.

She said the PTI leadership had called in the party workers from all over Pakistan to participate in the Lahore meeting as the people of Punjab had refused to listen to it, as they knew that Imran was nothing more than a 'rubber stamp leader'.

Billions of rupees was spent by its ticket holders to woo people for attending to the meeting but in vain, she said and advised the voters to be vigilant of the elements, who sold their votes to other party.

Maryam Nawaz said that Nawaz Sharif was the only leader, who was 'Sadiq and Ameen'.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah Khan, former Senator Pervez Rashid, MNA Javed Latif, Provincial Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran, Pir Syed Imran Ahmed Shah and other party leaders and local office-bearers were also present in the meeting.