“You have proved that decisions are not made by the finger of an umpire but the thumbs of voters,” former prime minister Nawaz Sharif told the people of Lodhran yesterday, expressing his gratitude for their voting the ruling party candidate in recent by-election.
“Allah has broken the arrogance of PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf], I am extremely thankful to people of Lodhran on my own behalf and that of Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz and Maryam Nawaz on this great success,” he said in his first address here after the by-election in NA-154.
In the upcoming general elections “each constituency will become Lodhran”, he said, expressing his confidence in victory of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). “You cannot imagine how happy I am that you people reposed trust in us,” he told the roaring crowd, adding that he came there to personally congratulate the people of the area.
“The people of Lodhran have restored the credibility of vote, refusing those who did nothing in the five years other than telling lies,” said the disqualified prime minister. “Imran [Khan] says he will learn a lesson from the loss in Lodhran. No, he will not learn a lesson, the people will teach him one,” he added.
The people have to make a huge decision in this year’s general elections also, Nawaz said. “Whatever has been happening in this country for 70 years has to change. We have to protect the sanctity of the vote.”
He asked the people to promise him that they would support him in this mission and would not ever let their elected prime minister to be scandalised and humiliated again.
Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Federal Minister Abdul Rehman Kanjoo and MNA Syed Pir Iqbal Shah also addressed the PML-N workers convention, which was also attended by Hamza Shehbaz and Maryam Nawaz.
Nawaz Sharif said that he has been serving people since 1985 and Shehbaz Sharif was also serving them for so many years. Best roads were being constructed, and hospitals and educational institutes have been built during the PML-N government. They not only made electricity available but also cut its cost, he said. Expenses of tube wells have also been reduced to half of their previous level.
Praising his brother Shehbaz Sharif, he said the chief minister did a great service by completing such projects in 20 months as would normally take years to complete. Health cards have been issued to people by Punjab government which enable them to avail the modern health facilities, he added.
The PML-N president said that his party’s government brought peace to Karachi, even though it was primarily the responsibility of Sindh government of PPP.
If brought to power again, the party would make the people get justice at their doorstep and launch assistance programs for farmers, he held. He promised provision of gas, jobs and houses to all the people of Lodhran.
Addressing the convention, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that PML-N has broken the ‘ATM of Imran Khan’, a reference to Jehangir Tareen whose son lost the by-election. He said that people of Lodhran refused the “bribe of 5,000 rupees to each voter” offered by the PTI candidate and decided to vote for the PML-N.
Shehbaz said that if the farmers were getting fertilisers on subsidised rate for the last three years, it was because Nawaz Sharif decided to do so. Subsidy of billions of rupee was also given on tube wells, for which easy loans were also provided, he added.
He said several development projects were running in Lodhran, and roads worth 85 billion rupee have been built in the area in the last four years.Addressing the convention, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the present government has fulfilled its promise by ending power load shedding in the country.
He said farmers are being provided subsidized fertilizer for the last three years and power tariff on tube-wells is also being subsidized to facilitate the peasants.
The Chief Minister said record development schemes of roads at a cost of over eighty five billion rupees have been completed in Punjab.
He said the people of Lodhran rejected negative politics and reposed confidence in the leadership of PML-N in recent by election.
The chief minister announced constructing an underpass in Patan Wala, on the request of Minister Abdul Rehman Kanjoo. He also announced another bypass project for Duniapur.The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader said that he has come to the city to congratulate the people for the recent victory of his party in the by-election against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's candidate Ali Tareen.
"You have proven that decisions are made by voters thumbs not the umpire's finger," he said. "You have restored the sanctity and respect of vote."
Taking a jibe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, he said that "Ladla (favourite) said that he has taken decision to learn lesson from the Lodhran election. It will be the nation who will teach him a lesson."
Nawaz said that his political opponents did nothing other than telling lies and hurling false allegations, whereas his party served the masses.
"Ali Tareen said before election that they have already won the poll but only need to extend the lead," he said. CM Punjab told the crowd in Lodhran that the voters had dismissed the arrogance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan with which he had claimed prior victory in NA-154 by-polls.
He was addressing the workers convention in New Stadium of Lodhran Saturday, where former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz were also present.
The PML-N leaders are in Lodhran to thank locals for voting in the candidate fielded by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on NA-154.
Preparations for the convention went on all night, as PML-N workers danced to the beat of drums in celebration of their leader’s arrival.
The NA-154 constituency in Lodhran fell vacant after the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) former general secretary Jahangir Tareen in 2017 by the Supreme Court.Minister of State Abdul Rahaman Kanju said the incumbent government has steered the country out of crises and completed record developmental projects.
"We launched power projects and ended load shedding besides eliminating terrorism in the country and restored peace in Karachi and else where in Pakistan," he added.
After euphoria of victory in NA-154 by-poll, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PMLN) president Nawaz Sharif made it overtly clear that verdicts are not announced by umpire’s finger, but rather nation’s thumbs.On February 12, PML-N fielded Syed Muhammad Iqbal Shah for the by-poll, while Jahangir’s son Ali Tareen contested from PTI.
PML-N’s Iqbal Shah won with 113,542 votes, while his competitor, Ali Tareen, contesting his first election on his father’s seat, attained 85,933 votes.
On February 12, PML-N fielded Syed Muhammad Iqbal Shah for the by-poll, while Jahangir’s son Ali Tareen contested from PTI.
PML-N’s Iqbal Shah won with 113,542 votes, while his competitor, Ali Tareen, contesting his first election on his father’s seat, attained 85,933 votes.
“Every constituency of Pakistan will be turned into Lodhran in 2018 polls. Ladla (dear one in English) claimed that PTI would learn lesson from Lodhran defeat, but rather nation would teach him lesson now”, claimed Sharif.
He stated that outcome of NA-154 by-poll is echoing across country and asked loyalists whether they would protect sanctity of the vote.
While extending verbal onslaught against landmark July-28 judgment, Sharif claimed that even corruption allegation of single penny does not exist against him.
“When nothing was found, the apex court ousted me over receiving salary from son”, asserted Sharif.
While apprising goals achieved by PMLN-led federal government, Sharif claimed that they eliminated power cuts in just four years and restored peace in Karachi.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader said that he has come to the city to congratulate the people for the recent victory of his party in the by-election against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's candidate Ali Tareen.
"You have proven that decisions are made by voters thumbs not the umpire's finger," he said. "You have restored the sanctity and respect of vote."
Taking a jibe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, he said that "Ladla (favourite) said that he has taken decision to learn lesson from the Lodhran election. It will be the nation who will teach him a lesson."
Nawaz said that his political opponents did nothing other than telling lies and hurling false allegations, whereas his party served the masses.
