Hours after his return home, Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif highlighted the achievements of his time in office, recalling how he gave a “befitting response” to the nuclear explosion in India in 1998 by conducting nuclear tests, despite being banned by then US President Bill Clinton billions of US dollars had been offered to do this.
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addresses his supporters. (AFP) {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
Sharif, 73, returned home on a special flight from Dubai, ending a four-year self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom to lead his party and try to secure a record fourth term in office in general elections expected to take place in January to secure.
Wearing a light blue kurta-pyjama, a maroon shawl and a black coat, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) commander-in-chief flew from Dubai to Islamabad on the Umeed-e-Pakistan charter plane at around 1:30 p.m. local time.
He reached Lahore, which is considered the stronghold of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, to address a large rally.
“I meet you today after several years, but my love affair with you is the same. “There is no difference in this regard,” he told the cheering crowd. “The love I see in your eyes, I’m proud of it.”
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Sharif recalled the enormous pressure he faced from foreign governments in 1998 when Pakistan wanted to respond to India’s nuclear test.
“It will be on record at the State Department that Clinton offered me $5 billion […] This happened in 1999… I could have been offered $1 billion, but I was born in Pakistan and it didn’t give me permission to accept anything that was against Pakistan’s favor.
“Tell me, if someone else had been in my place, you know who, he could have said that in front of the American president,” he said, taking a swipe at his main rival Imran Khan.
“We conducted the nuclear test and gave a befitting response to India for conducting nuclear tests,” he said in his nearly 60-minute speech at the PML-N rally at Minar-e-Pakistan.
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“Will we be punished for this? Will judgments be pronounced against us for this reason?” he said.
Sharif said he never betrayed his supporters and did not shy away from sacrifice. He recalled how fake charges were made against him, his daughter and his party leaders. “But no one gave up the PML-N flag.”
“Tell me, who are they who separated Nawaz Sharif from his nation? We are the ones who built Pakistan. We made Pakistan a nuclear power. We have put an end to load shedding.”
He compared that the cost of roti today is much higher than when he was in power. “Was I pushed out for this reason? What is this decision? You are telling the public, do you agree with this decision?”
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The PML-N commander lamented that the country was in a dismal state today but at the same time promised to bring Pakistan back on the growth path.
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