Imran’s ‘wish for default’ won’t come true: Abbasi

RAWALPINDI:

PML-N stalwart Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and other party leaders on Sunday maintained that PTI Chairman Imran Khan's desire to bankrupt the country or push it towards default would never be fulfilled.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has saved the country from bankruptcy. [PM Shehbaz took over] the government [when it was] caught in the vortex of economic and social conditions in a constitutional manner [and handled the matters],” the former premier said while addressing the guests at an iftar dinner hosted by a former MPA of the PP-16 constituency of Rawalpindi.

He added that free flour was being distributed among the deserving people of the country by reducing government expenditure.

Abbasi further claimed that the PML-N was the only party engaged in serving the people by bringing facilities to their doorsteps.

He pointed out that 100 million deserving people would be provided with free flour through one of the biggest schemes launched in the country.

“This scheme has been launched, setting aside political point scoring, only with the spirit of humanitarian service to provide relief to the people during the holy month of Ramazan,” he maintained.

“The poor Pakistanis, who will receive the free flour, will pray for the integrity of Pakistan,” he added.

The PML-N leader claimed that had the PTI still remained in power, the country would have defaulted on its external repayments by now.

He continued that the PML-N was closely monitoring the country’s economy.

Abbasi maintained that the current rulers were forced to make tough decisions because the Imran-led government had destroyed the economy.

He added that the country was in the midst of financial difficulties, but he could claim that the country would never default.

The former premier noted that creating an atmosphere of uncertainty was enmity with the country, adding that the economic situation would improve soon.

Speaking on the occasion, former PML-N MNA Hanif Abbasi said the era of conspiracies had passed and party supremo Nawaz Sharif would return to the country soon.

He added that the PML-N was like a family.

Hanif noted that the country’s economy was under pressure, but claimed that the situation would improve soon.

“We have to face these problems together,” he added.

Hanif claimed that the PML-N would sweep the polls across the country, especially in Rawalpindi.

Former PML-N senator Chaudhry Tanveer Khan said difficulties could be overcome by implementing the Constitution as well as laws and development was possible.

However, he added that the country could not develop in a state of uncertainty.

He said the Almighty had granted his special grace to Pakistan and despite difficulties, the country would never default.

He pointed out that political stability could lead to improvement in the economic situation.

“Instead of going after each other, the country ‘s interest should be considered first,” the ex-senator said, while advising political rivals.

He continued that criticising and ridiculing each other could only make matters worse, and not improve them.

“Pakistan is not the country of one person or group, it is the country of all of us,” he added.

The former senator maintained that the PML-N would not rest easy even if Nawaz became the premier for the fourth time.

Addressing the ceremony, Begum Tahira Aurangzeb said Nawaz was the heartbeat of millions of people of this country.

She added that the PML-N supremo could not be removed from the hearts of the people unjustly.

Former mayor Sardar Naseem, Barrister Daniyal Tanveer Chaudhry, Haji Parvez Khan, Raja Haneef Advocate, Rahat Quddusi, Sheikh Arsalan Hafeez, and Zaibun Nisa Awan also spoke on the occasion.

They maintained that the present government was in strong hands and those who pushed the country to the brink of default had to face defeat.

They added that because of the joint efforts of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the country had overcome its crises.