Nawaz Sharif denies fourth power bid

Former PM asserts honesty in political pursuits, rejects deception

MURREE:

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday asserted that his political pursuits were not fuelled by personal ambitions to reclaim power for a fourth term. In a speech delivered at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers' convention in Murree, Nawaz, a three-time former prime minister, conveyed his sincere desire to witness a positive transformation in the destiny of Pakistan.

He explicitly stated his commitment to avoiding misleading tactics in achieving his political objectives. Describing Murree as his "second home", the former prime minister underscored the necessity of developing the region. He commended the scenic beauty of Murree and advocated for focused efforts on its growth, particularly highlighting the construction of a picturesque road from Islamabad to Murree.

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During his address, Nawaz highlighted significant achievements from his tenure, including the addition of 11,000 megawatts of power to the national grid and the successful eradication of power outages through diligent efforts. He specifically pointed out the initiation of coal-based electricity production in Sindh, emphasising the veracity of his political statements. "I don't lie for politics. We initiated coal-based electricity production in Sindh, completing projects left incomplete for 20 years."

He highlighted the utilisation of coal mines in Sindh for power generation. Boasting about economic accomplishments, Nawaz credited himself with rescuing Pakistan from default and transitioning the country from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) grey list to the white list. He also mentioned successfully concluding negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), emphasising that the country did not seek financial assistance from any other nation during his regime.

مری: مسلم لیگ (ن) کے قائد محمد نواز شریف مسلم لیگ (ن) مری کی تنظیم سے خطاب کر رہے ہیں https://t.co/GGGJqiuooI

— PMLN (@pmln_org) November 23, 2023

Warning against deceiving the nation for political gains, Nawaz stressed that divine accountability awaited those who mislead. He emphasised the importance of thoughtful and truthful communication during electioneering, underlining the obligation to fulfil promises made during elections.

The former prime minister also reminisced about diplomatic achievements during his tenure, recalling the visits of two former Indian prime ministers to Pakistan. He referred to the visits of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 and incumbent Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise visit in Dec 2015. Additionally, Nawaz mentioned rejecting a $5 billion offer from the United States in 1998 so that Pakistan refrained from conducting nuclear tests.