NANKANA SAHIB: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said on Sunday that Imran Khan and Asif Ali Zardari were the two sides of the same coin. “Those calling each other ‘thief’ have shaken hands now,” the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo told a rally here, adding that both his rivals were deceiving the nation. “Fear of my popularity has forced my rivals to make an alliance,” he claimed. He said that the legislators of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) voted for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the recently held Senate elections. “They both are pawns … and pawns don’t do anything for the public,” he added. Touting his party for launching development projects during its tenure, the former premier said that the PML-N delivered through its performance and ended the menace of load sheddingacross the country.He went on tell people present at the rally that the PML-N has also initiated educational and development projects in the district of Nankana Sahib. Earlier, addressing the rally Maryam Nawaz claimed that Imran Khan and Asif Ali Zardari have covertly shaken hands.”Both are the same from the inside,” said the former first daughter, adding, “The vote you will give to Imran will go to Zardari too.” “What will they say when they come to the public to ask for votes?” Maryam said, accusing Imran and Zardari of political wheeling and dealing. “Theladla(blue-eyed) will say ‘I have sold your votes’ and thechahaita(darling) will say ‘I have bought your votes’.” Before Maryam, Hamaz Shehbaz, who was accompanying his uncle and cousin for the first time since their recent spree of political rallies, also criticised Imran Khan for doing the politics of containers andsit-ins. He said that the party workers had always stood firm with the former prime minister.He said that due to Nawaz Sharif and his efforts the country came out of the shadows of darkness. Hamza also shared two incidents of Nawaz Sharif’s ‘commitment’ to the people and his party workers.He said Nawaz was caught in firing during his visit to a college in Lahore in 1993, but he had refused to take shelter in the car, saying, “How could I bail out on my party workers who too are exposed to the firing.” In another incident, Hamza told the roaring crowd that despite ‘threats’ to his life during the lawyers movement, Nawaz had refused to back off, saying he would keep his promise even at the cost of his life. The ruling PML-N has been holding a series of rallies across the country, garnering support for its new political narrative. Nawaz Sharif, who was disqualified as premier and head of his party by the Supreme Court in separate cases, has been raising the slogan of ‘respect for the vote’. Apart from the mainstream political parties, other parties have also launched similar public mobilisation drives ahead of the general elections, expected sometime in July. Published in Daily Times, March 19th 2018.