Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Quaid Nawaz Sharif would come back to Pakistan next month and face his cases in courts.

The prime minister, in an interview with a private news channel, said after the formation of the caretaker government he would visit London to consult Nawaz Sharif on his plan for return.

Nawaz Sharif would lead the election campaign of his party and would be the next prime minister for the fourth time if the PML-N won the next election, he added. He said as he had been saying all along he would hand over the government to the caretaker set-up and the Election Commission would decide about the date for new elections.

The Council of Common Interests (CCI) had already approved the new digital census and the election would be held according to it, he added.

“We have followed the Constitution and now the institutions have the responsibility to hold the elections,” he remarked, adding he desired that elections should be held as soon as possible.

Shehbaz pointed out that he led the shortest government of 16 months formed by the coalition parties of various ideologies and thinking. “We proved to the people that the coalition parties were united for sake of the country. We performed our responsibilities in the best interests of the state.” He said after his taking charge of office the country faced devastating floods and the government within its limited resources provided timely relief to the people, took steps for their rehabilitation and transparently distributed the aid that came from foreign countries.

The biggest contribution of his government, he said, was that Pakistan was saved from default and for that his government went through a difficult phase of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF managing director at one point in a meeting with him in Paris said that no time was left for revival of the programme but later an agreement was reached for loan of three billion dollars, he recalled. The PM said in the four years of the previous government, relations with friendly and brotherly countries were damaged and long time friends of Pakistan were alienated. He said the countries like Saudi Arabia unconditionally came to the rescue of Pakistan on numerous difficult occasions in the past, provided monetary assistance to it and gave oil on deferred payment for three years but despite all that the previous government could not maintain better ties with the brotherly country. He said the perception that his government was “imported” was fabricated, adding his government restored ties and received support from different friendly and brotherly countries. “For instance if we were imported government, then we should have received open support from the IMF,” he observed. He said that the United States did not oppose the IMF programme for Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Imran Khan Niazi had ruined relations with the friendly countries and isolated Pakistan in the world.

The prime minister, in an interview with ‘WeNews’, said that an effort was made to create a bloc and isolate Saudi Arabia through that bloc. “What a sad incident and what a fallen thought that a friend who helps you like a brother and family without any condition or greed and we become ungrateful and forgetful of its kindness,” he added.

The prime minister said that the two brotherly countries could never have imagined such a bad situation that happened during Imran Niazi’s tenure.

Terming the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief’s narrative that his (Shehbaz’s) government was brought in power under an American conspiracy, a pack of lies, the prime minister said if the contents of the cipher, which was printed (in the international newspaper), were true, then it was a very big crime.

With regard to the news about the cipher published in the international journal ‘The Intercept’, he said that two meetings of the National Security Council regarding the cipher were held under his chairmanship. In a meeting, the then Pakistani ambassador and current Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed clearly stated that there was no talk of conspiracy in his meeting with the United States official Donald Lu. The then Chief of Army Staff General Bajwa and other services chiefs also confirmed that there was no conspiracy hatched against Pakistan, he added.

“Imran Niazi’s narrative was that America tried to topple his government because he was more attracted to China and Russia, so tell me that if our government was formed through the American conspiracy, would we get oil from Russia? Would our relations with China be restored which were destroyed by Imran Niazi? So this one proof is enough,” he added.

Regarding the delay in finalizing the name of caretaker prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif said there was a mistake in understanding that the caretaker prime minister’s decision was to be taken tomorrow. “It is not the case because there cannot be a consultation between the prime minister and the opposition leader before the National Assembly is dissolved.”

He said that right now he could not reveal the name of the caretaker prime minister, but assured that the matter would be revealed soon.

Regarding Pakistan’s relations with India, the prime minister said that ties with the neighbouring country could not be restored without finding a just solution of the Kashmir issue because the Kashmiris had made great sacrifices to get their rights and thousands of them have died in 75 years. The hearts of Kashmiri mothers and daughters were torn, children and the elderly were martyred and the valley of Kashmir turned red with their blood, he added.

The prime minister made it clear that without resolving the issue of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, relations with India could not be normalized in any way.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif advised the civil servants especially those employed in the PM Office and PM House to work diligently for the betterment of the country.

Addressing a gathering of the luncheon given in honour of staff of the PM Office and PM House, Shehbaz Sharif stressed the need to get united and put collective efforts to take the country towards sustainable development and stability.

“We all should endeavour to free the country from all domestic and international loans and put it on strong footing,” he added.

The prime minister said Allah Almighty had blessed the country with huge natural resources but the only thing that lacked was “the will to do”.

He said after rendering great sacrifices, Pakistan was formed for a certain cause. “We all have the duty to play our role in the development of the country and to fulfil the vision of the founder of Pakistan Quid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal,” he added.

“We should also promise to follow the teachings of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), and fulfil the vision of Quid-i-Azam and Allama Muhammad Iqbal to make Pakistan and prosperous and peaceful country.” He thanked the staff for their assistance during his stay in the office of the Prime Minister.

“I thank you all for supporting and guiding me during my 16-month stay in the office. Either they are my personal secretaries, military secretary, drivers, cook, telephone operators, deputy secretaries, PSOs, or others, all did their duties with due diligence and guided me on various matters,” he added.

He said due to economic challenges, the cabinet members voluntarily withdrew from perks and privileges and most of them did not draw their salaries. On the occasion the prime minister also distributed certificates of encouragement among the staff of grades 1 to 16.