Faisalabad turns into PML-N stronghold with Nawaz’s speech

Continuing with his diatribe against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif on Friday said the “real youth”, not the “mummy-daddy type”, were with his party, calling on them to play a key role in the reemergence of the party as the leading political force of Pakistan.

The three-time former premier was addressing a public gathering at the historic Iqbal Park or Dhobi Ghat ground in Faisalabad, where he asked the participants who were born in or after 1980 to raise their hands.

As a large number of the participants raised their hands, he said that it clearly negated the propaganda that the youth were with some other political parties.

The PML-N supreme leader said he was impressed by the enthusiasm of the participants in the public meeting.
He said, "I have reliable friends and colleagues in Faisalabad since 1980."

He particularly named Chaudhry Sher Ali, Abid Sher Ali, Talal Chaudhry, Mian Farooq and Rana Sanaullah, saying they were still steadfast and refused to succumb to any pressure to change their allegiance.

He said that his tenure was marked with maximum facilitation to the masses, adding that all commodities were cheap and available to everyone during his tenure as the prime minister.

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He said gold was available at Rs50,000 per tola (now Rs216,300 per tola) and parents did not face any problem in the marriage of their daughters.

"At that time when we were fighting against the twin menace of terrorism and load shedding, others (the PTI) were observing a sit-in to achieve their ulterior motives," he recalled.

Nawaz said people remembered those days when the PML-N government was sent packing.

"If our rule would have continued, we would have been able to fight out poverty and unemployment," he added.

"We are committed to weeding out unemployment and taming inflation while the previous rulers befooled masses by raising hollow slogans of providing 10 million jobs."

He said that the PML-N would restart the development process where it was abandoned due to his ouster from the Prime Minister House.

He said more motorways would be established to facilitate people and link different parts of the country.

Earlier, on the announcement of party President Shehbaz Sharif to provide metro bus service to Faisalabad, he said if the PML-N came to power, it would not only start metro bus service but also give a gift of orange line train to the city.

Addressing the participants, Shehbaz termed Faisalabad the citadel of PML-N, saying that enthusiasm of people clearly indicated that “they love Nawaz Sharif from the core of their hearts”.

Shehbaz said PML-N supremo Nawaz always considered Faisalabad as his second home, and when he was voted to power earlier, he launched major development projects for the city and transformed it into a dynamic city.

He said that he had visited Satiana Road in 1997 for construction of the road, adding that he always remained committed to development of the city.

He said he asked people whether they wanted metro or expressway, and they opted for an expressway, and Nawaz directed him (Shehbaz) to give the city what the people were demanding.

He termed the youth asset of the country and power of society, adding that they would be fully accommodated by providing the best quality education at their doorstep.

"We would also offer scholarships and restart distribution of laptops among talented students, so that they could exploit their quality of head and heart to build Pakistan on modern lines," he added.

He promised to provide the city with metro bus service, saying that if the PML-N candidates would be voted to power from Faisalabad, the party would set up a state-of-the-art Arfa Kareem IT University in this city after forming its government.

In her address, Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz urged the people to vote the PML-N to power to put Pakistan on the growth trajectory.

The PML-N SVP said she was surprised by the massive gathering, adding that huge participation in the public meeting showed that the people loved the PML-N, which had served them during its previous tenure.

She also saluted the commitment of Talal and appreciated the allegiance of Sanaullah to the party.

She said, "We tagged him as 'Hakeem Sanaullah', who prudently tackled the situation by promoting unity among the PML-N cadres."

She said that when Sanaullah was implicated in a fake drug-smuggling case, she went to see him.
He was wearing a mask marked with the symbol of tiger.

When asked, Sanaullah replied that if he was only two per cent with Nawaz, after that case, he was turned into a man 1,000 times with Nawaz because of the oppressive and illegal act of the ruling party – PTI.

She said that the people of Faisalabad fully honoured the commitment of Sanaullah by making the gathering a historic one.

"It seems that the people still love Nawaz Sharif, as he was always among them," she added. “We believe in the politics of service instead of indulging in insulting political opponents."

She said Nawaz was ousted from power thrice, but he never compromised on national solidarity and integrity.

Shehbaz, Maryam, PML-N Punjab President Sanaullah, PML-N City President Sheikh Ejaz, former state ministers Chaudhry Abid Sher Ali, Talal Chaudhry and other leaders were also present at the rally. APP