
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, recently addressed a party meeting in Lahore via video link from London, where he expressed his concerns about Pakistan's economic crisis. He questioned why Pakistan was seeking financial aid from around the world while India had achieved significant milestones, such as reaching the Moon and hosting the G20 summit.
Nawaz Sharif began by talking aboutthe dire economic situation in Pakistan, where the current Prime Minister had been travelling to various countries to solicit financial assistance.
He contrasted this with India's achievements, stressing that India had not only reached the Moon but also hosted international summits like the G20. This, he argued, raised questions about Pakistan's failure to attain similar feats.
Sharif pointed out that during his tenure as Prime Minister in the 1990s, Pakistan had initiated economic reforms similar to those later adopted by India.
He cited India's remarkable growth in foreign exchange reserves, from a mere billion dollars during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure to an impressive $600 billion, as evidence of India's economic success.
In July, Pakistan received $1.2 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a $3 billion bailout package aimed at stabilising the country's struggling economy.
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Nawaz Sharif, who had been in self-imposed exile in the UK for over four years, announced his return to Pakistan on October 21. He plans to lead the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party's campaign for the upcoming general elections. His party has also stated its intention to secure protective bail for him.
Sharif did not shy away from placing blame on Pakistan's former generals and judges for the country's predicament.
He mentioned that four judges had played a role in sending him home despite his efforts to eliminate power load shedding in the country. He specifically targeted former chief justices Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa, alleging that they were influenced by the former army chief and spy chief. He argued that their actions amounted to a crime greater than murder and asserted that they did not deserve pardons, highlightingthat it would be an injustice to the nation.
(With inputs from agencies)
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