PML-N prioritized state over politics: Shehbaz

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has claimed that during the rule of his elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, the entire world was startled by the pace of progress in the country but that during the party’s recent rule it sacrificed its politics for state.

“We prioritized the state over politics. If there is no state, there will be no politics. To achieve economic development, political stability is necessary," Shehbaz said while speaking at a traders’ convention in Punjab’s capital on Thursday.

The convention was held at the 24th anniversary of a military coup that resulted in the ouster of Nawaz Sharif’s second government in October 1999.  Shahbaz Sharif stated that on this day, martial law was imposed to overthrow Nawaz Sharif's government for the second time.

“This was a time when Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had acknowledged Pakistan's existence wholeheartedly. India and the entire world were amazed at Pakistan's progress.

Read Nawaz’s return not part of any deal: PM

He said in Nawaz Sharif's era, the country was progressing, but a conspiracy was hatched against the PML-N supreme leader, and he was ousted.  Shehbaz said when Nawaz Sharif became prime minister for the third time, he once again rescued the country from darkness,” he added.

"Nawaz Sharif made Pakistan the first Muslim country to have nuclear power, brought the country out of darkness, ended terrorism and introduced projects like Orange Line and Green Line.

“Without the Ring Road project, Lahore's traffic situation would have been much worse. All these projects were completed under Nawaz Sharif's leadership,” he added.

Nawaz, who served as the country’s prime minister thrice was disqualified by the apex court in July 2017 for hiding the salary he received as an employee of a company owned by his son.

In December 2018, he was sentenced to seven years in prison in a corruption case. However, in October 2019, the former premier was given a rare permission to get medical treatment abroad in view of debilitating health conditions.

Nawaz had stayed abroad in all these years and not returned to the country even during the rule of the PML-N led coalition government from April 2022 to August 2023.

The former PM announced last month his plans to finally return to Pakistan on October 21 as the Election Commission of Pakistan said it would hold elections in the last week of January.

Referring to the former premier’s plan to return to the country, Shehbaz said on that day people will welcome Nawaz Sharif's return with a historic reception.

Shehbaz said, when his party came into power once again after ouster of the PTI government in April 2022, it inherited inflation.  “The PTI had ruined the state. But in Ramazan, we provided Rs7 billion subsidy and offered affordable flour in Sindh and Punjab,” he added.