Pakistan

Promising ‘change’: Only PML-N can steer the country out of crises, says Nawaz

Hits out at PPP govt for rampant unemployment, corruption and energy crisis.

Our Correspondent April 16, 2013

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif. PHOTO: FILE

FAISALABAD:

PML-N Nawaz Sharif has lamented the nose-diving economy, rampant unemployment, burgeoning energy crisis and sliding living standards in Pakistan, saying that only his party could guide the country through these dire straits.

“People have confidence in me. They voted me to power twice. On both occasions, however, anti-democracy forces did not allow me to complete my constitutional tenure,” Nawaz told journalists on Monday. He was in Sammundri to offer condolences to the family of PML-N leader Chaudhry Sharif Gujjar.

He hit out at former military ruler Pervez Musharraf who had toppled his second government in October 1999. “Musharraf derailed democracy while the country was on the road to prosperity and development,” he said. “Today, the entire nation is paying the price for his adventurism”.

The PML-N chief also criticised the PPP-led coalition government for ‘bad governance, nepotism and corruption.’ He added that the previous government added to the problems of people instead of resolving them.

“During the PPP government, poverty went up to an all-time high. Economically, the country has been ruined, and the law and order situation has worsened, especially in Karachi and Quetta,” he added.

Nawaz said that key state-run organisations like PIA, Pakistan Railways and Pakistan Steel Mill were at the brink of collapse due to the ill-conceived policies of the previous government. “If voted to power, the PML-N will change the destiny of Pakistan and bring qualitative change in the lives of people,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2013.

COMMENTS (9)

Ali | 11 years ago | Reply

The problem here is that these claims that Pakistan was about to entere a phase of growth and prosperity in 1999 are bogus like everything else Nawaz Sharif claims.

The country was bankrupt, Kuwait had to pay back the interest on the IMF loan. He lowered taxes for the rich, (what little taxes were paid) and spent less on sectors like health and education that he now currently champions.

We have 2 terms where he has been in power and we can judge his record - and they are not very good.

Part of the reason Musharraf took over was the poor state of the economy. Not one person disagreed with him at the time.

Now it seems history is being re-written. Before you know it there was no load shedding/blackouts in the 2008-13 PPP reign and all murders/attacks were the result of jealous girlfriends.

Iqbal | 11 years ago | Reply

Yes we need PML(N) to guide the country through this difficult time.