report in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2023.
LAHORE: Former Prime Minister and PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif expressed his disappointment over the current state of affairs in Pakistan on Tuesday, attributing it to self-inflicted mistakes rather than external factors.
Speaking at a parliamentary board meeting in Lahore, Sharif acknowledged that the nation’s predicament was a result of domestic errors.
“It’s not India or the United States; we are in this position due to our own mistakes,” he emphasized.
Reflecting on his government’s accomplishments, Sharif highlighted that by the end of 2016, challenges such as load-shedding and terrorism had been successfully addressed. He reminisced about a stable dollar, historic high foreign exchange reserves, and a growth rate of 6.2%. Sharif stated, “We bid farewell to the IMF. But now, where have those days gone?”
Lashing out at the PTI government’s policies, Sharif pointed out that upon Imran Khan’s assumption of power, terrorism resurged, the value of the dollar soared, and economic growth stagnated. He criticized the government for approaching the IMF on its own conditions, resulting in inflation.
Regarding the alleged rigging in the 2018 elections, Sharif contended that despite the closure of the Result Transmission System (RTS), PML-N had a majority in Punjab. However, he claimed those who were “selected” came to power with just four votes, with the support of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).
Expressing concern over the judiciary, Sharif accused judges of historically favoring those who violated the Constitution. He emphasized the need for a fair judiciary and noted the swiftness with which current judges disposed of cases against him.
In an apparent reference to Imran Khan, Sharif criticized a leader for engaging in U-turns, rigging, and lies in the name of change (tabdeeli). He concluded by urging aspiring candidates to promise that, if granted tickets, they would work towards resolving the country’s current crises.
“It’s not India or the US but we are in this position because of our own mistakes which damaged our country,” he said while addressing a parliamentary board meeting in Lahore.
Reminiscing about his government’s achievements, Sharif said the country had overcome challenges such as load-shedding and terrorism by the end of 2016. “The dollar was stable, foreign exchange reserves were at historic high and we achieved a growth rate of 6.2%,” he added.
He continued, “We made efforts to bring down the interest rate from double digits to 5.25%. Export refinancing was at 3%, and our exports were increasing. We bid farewell to the IMF. But now, where have those days gone?”
Lashing out at the PTI government’s policies, Sharif said when former prime minister Imran Khan came to power, terrorism re-emerged, the value of the dollar soared, and economic growth stagnated.
“We had said goodbye to the IMF but then IMF was approached on its own conditions, leading to inflation and no one can deny these facts,” he added.
Talking about the alleged rigging in the 2018 elections, the former prime minister said that despite the closure of the Result Transmission System (RTS), PML-N had a majority in Punjab. However, he added, those who were “selected” came to power with just four votes, with the help of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).
Expressing concern over the judiciary, he accused judges of historically garlanding those who violated the Constitution.
“We’ve witnessed this for 70 years. We were jailed by previous judges, but the current judges disposed of those cases swiftly,” he added.
In an apparent reference to Imran Khan, Sharif said a leader remained indulged in U-turns, rigging and lies in the name of tabdeeli (change).
Sharif concluded by urging aspiring candidates to promise that, if granted tickets, they would work towards pulling the country out of its current crises.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2450536/self-inflicting-mistakes-reason-for-our-current-crises-nawaz
