Zardari has plunged country into darkness: Nawaz

BAGH: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif said the country’s sovereignty is at stake and its future could be terrible.

Addressing election rallies of his party at Hattian Bala, Chinary and Palandari in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, he said President Zardari has plunged the entire country into darkness.

He warned Kashmiris against the conspiracies of the present ruling clique by saying that the PPP leadership wanted to bring disrepute to the people of Azad Kashmir. He alleged that PPP was sowing the seeds of discord in Kashmir and people should reject it in the coming polls.

Nawaz Sharif said friends of the present government are plundering this country. Nawaz Sharif said talking about billions of rupees corruption by the rulers was not a crime.

He said those who harmed the national exchequer would never be forgiven, adding after coming into power they would hold accountable looters of the exchequer and no one would be spared.

Nawaz Sharif said the present government during its three-and-a-half years tenure did nothing for development and welfare of the people. He said masses are facing the worst kind of loadshedding in the hottest weather forcing them to spend sleepless nights but the government was taking no step even to lessen the duration of loadshedding.

Nawaz Sharif said corruption is rampant in the country, adding, rulers have inducted their friends in institutions who were indulging in loot and plunder. On the other hand we have extended the begging bowl to others. He alleged that 150 billion dollars are provided to Pakistan under Kerry Lugar Bill but corruption to the extent of Rs500 billion to 700 billion is being committed.

“Today petrol is not available at fuel pumps. Diesel is not being provided to farmers. Electricity is nowhere in the country. People are protesting against loadshedding, inflation and price hike but the rulers have become heedless to these protests,” he said.

What is the use of this government, which has not addressed the problems of the people in the last three years. Sometime martial law comes in the country, sometime dictatorship comes and sometime parliamentary or presidential system comes, he underlined. Constitution is being used to serve one’s personal interests and sometimes parliament and courts are empowered to make or break the constitution. It is tyrannical, he added.

Economy is on the brink of annihilation and wealth has been concentrated in a few hands, he alleged. Pakistan stands isolated in the comity of nations as no one except China and Saudi Arabia stand by Pakistan.

How can Pakistan make progress when incidents like Abbottabad, PNS Mehran, Kharotabad and killings of people at the hands of rangers take place, he stated.

He said the then prime minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee had assured him that Kashmir issue would be resolved by the year 1999 but Musharraf embarked on the Kargil war and brought a bad name to Pakistan. “I had to sacrifice power to protect the army,” he asserted, and stressed that Musharraf should be asked as to why he brought shame on Pakistan.

He said military dictator Pervez Musharraf during his nine years unconstitutional rule destroyed the national institutions and defamed the country throughout the world. He said instead of giving guard of honour to the violators of the Constitution, their hands should be broken.

The PML-N Quaid claimed that when he shook hands with someone then the bond remains forever. “I have shaken hands with the people and I will never let them down,” he said. He said his relationship of love with the people goes back a long way and he can never forget the people of Kashmir.

Nawaz Sharif said he never forgot Kashmir and Kashmiris and always supported and sided with them. He said the PML-N decided to contest the AJK elections with a view to improving the living standard of the people there.

The PML-N Quaid said he has no lust for power but wants to protect the country from looters. He said that no one respects a country where assemblies are unconstitutionally dissolved and Constitution is violated.

Nawaz Sharif said he harboured no grudge against anyone and just wants that whichever party gets the mandate it must be respected. He said when India conducted nuclear tests, the Indians assumed a threatening posture vis-a-vis Kashmir. “We responded to the five Indian nuclear tests with six and brought the other side to the (negotiating) table,” he said.

The PML-N Quaid said suicide attacks are taking place in the country due to continuation of one man’s policy. “Pakistani borders are being violated. Drone planes fly from inside Pakistan and launch attacks here. But government is deceiving the people. Hypocrisy is being practised. Eye is blinked to US on drone attacks implying “do whatever you wish”.

Suicide attacks and terrorist acts are taking place due to one man’s policy in the country, he added. “We talk of reforming the country and protecting its future. We heard the taunts of friendly opposition and tolerated them for the sake of the country. We supported government for three years with the hope that perhaps the fate of the country may change,” he said. — Agencies

Handout adds from Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif says the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will win the elections of June 26 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and burry the politics of Zardari in Naudero.

He was addressing a big public meeting in connection with the election campaign for Haji Muhammad Rasheed, a PML-N candidate for AJK Legislative Assembly elections, at Village Darman, Tehsil Zafarwal of Narowal on Wednesday.

PML-N MNA Ahsan Iqbal, MPAs Awais Qasim Khan and Col (R) Shujaat Ahmed Khan, Khawaja Ahmed Hassan and other Muslim League leaders were also present on the occasion.

Shahbaz Sharif said, “We will save Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Zardari and his cronies and make Pakistan the country of Quaid-e-Azam in real sense”.

He said founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had termed Kashmir as the lifeline of Pakistan and when in 1999 Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee came to Lahore, he said at Minar-e-Pakistan that in 1947 at the time of creation of Pakistan, our hearts were wounded but today under the shadow of Minar-e-Pakistan we recognise Pakistan from the core of our hearts. This, he said, happened only due to the leadership of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and nuclear explosions. Vajpayee signed the Lahore Declaration in which it was decided to resolve all the issues including Kashmir problem through dialogue. The Indian prime minister said he wanted to find a just solution to the Kashmir issue within a period of one year so that Kashmir dispute could be resolved in accordance with the demand of justice in his life. But in 1999, Musharraf toppled the democratic government and criticized the Lahore Declaration. However, he bowed his head by shaking hands with Vajpayee in Kathmandu which was a great insult to Kashmiris.

Shahbaz said time has come that we elect Nawaz Sharif as prime minister to provide rights to Kashmiris. He also made important announcements for the development of the area.

Shahbaz Sharif said Zardari has joined hands with those people who robbed the Bank of Punjab and the NICL of billions of rupees and is their ring leader.

He said the entire nation would hold Zardari accountable. He said the hard earned money of the nation deposited in Swiss accounts by Zardari would be recovered and spent on the welfare of the masses. He advised the president to come out of his palace as the law would take its course.

The Punjab chief minister said President Asif Zardari has used vituperative language against the very popular leader of the country, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, and has given the gift of “basket of mud” to the people of Punjab and Pakistan.

He said people have seen the real face of Asif Zardari after removal of his make-up. He said, “Pakistan Army is our army and we love generals and soldiers but do not love those generals who imposed martial law four times and dictatorship in the country and disintegrated it.”

He said the conspiracy being hatched by President Asif Zardari to create his party’s differences with Pakistan Army will never succeed.

He said today Zardari has become sympathizer of the army but we will foil his nefarious designs. He said we never criticized army except those generals who imposed martial law in the country and cleared the way for Zardari through NRO.

Shahbaz said he salutes the media which highlighted Zardari’s loot and plunder and corruption and stashing of hard earned money of the people in Swiss banks.

Shahbaz Sharif said the nation asks a question from Zardari whether he is with Pakistan or with the enemies of Pakistan. He said when the entire nation was perturbed over the incident of Abbottabad, Zardari was congratulating the foreigners, which is a big joke with the nation and the nation will definitely hold him accountable.

Earlier, MNA Ahsan Iqbal, while addressing the public meeting, said the measures taken for the uplift of Narowal for the last three-and-a-half years were unprecedented.