People will punish PTI on Feb 8: Shehbaz

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has claimed that in the upcoming general elections, people will cast their votes to oust those “who committed atrocities on them for four years by unleashing inflation”.

“The people of Pakistan will determine the outcome of the February 8 elections. The PML-N will come to power this time by virtue of divine blessings and people's support,” Shehbaz said on Saturday.

He interacted with party leaders Ayaz Sadiq, Saad Rafique, Rana Mashhood, Owais Laghari, and Shaheen Butt. PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah also attended the meetings.

Shehbaz served as the country’s prime minister after the ouster of the PTI-led government in April 2022.

During his rule, the country witnessed a phenomenal rise in inflation and unemployment, making the ruling coalition, comprising around a dozen parties, extremely unpopular.

The PML-N-led government, however, blamed the economic meltdown on the “faulty policies” of the PTI, which remained in power for almost four years before prematurely exiting the corridors of power following a no-confidence motion.

Expressing hope that his party will once again come to power, Shehbaz said: “We will fulfill our promises to the people of Pakistan under the leadership of [PML-N supreme leader] Nawaz Sharif.”

In the meeting, the PML-N leaders discussed party affairs and preparations for the general elections. They briefed the party president about ongoing activities and election preparations in their constituencies.

Sources indicate that Shehbaz urged PML-N leaders to make stringent preparations for the electoral battle. “Workers should mobilize people by going door-to-door. We must disseminate Nawaz Sharif's message to every household,” he added.

Nawaz Sharif, who has served as the country’s prime minister thrice, returned to the country in October this year after a four-year self-imposed exile. He was later exonerated in two corruption cases for which he was convicted in July and December 2018.

Meanwhile, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurengzeb criticized the Supreme Court for granting former prime minister Imran Khan post-arrest bail in the diplomatic cipher case, stating that the people of Pakistan were being treated as a “herd of sheep.”

"A political terrorist is being given the title of innocent; you will have to answer for treachery against the country. First, you used to call him incompetent; now, when the cipher drama comes up, you say he is innocent. This will not be acceptable.”

She said if Nawaz Sharif can appear in court to face false cases, then why can't Imran Khan appear in genuine cases.

“The public is watching; this must end. Serious allegations and investigations are ongoing in jail; you'll have to answer for it," she added.

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.

The court stated that at this stage, there was no sufficient incriminating material to show that Imran revealed the information in the cipher to the general public.

"We, therefore, are of the tentative opinion that there are not reasonable grounds for believing, at this stage, that the petitioners have committed the offence punishable under clause (b) of Section 5(3) of the [Official Secrets] Act,” the court said.