Nawaz calls for respecting people's mandate

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif called on Tuesday for the restoration of the people's right to govern. 

He was addressing a meeting of the party's general council which elected him the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president for four years earlier. 

He said there is anger in his heart too — to say so otherwise would be hypocrisy. 

Referring to the amendment and passing of the Electoral Reforms Bill 2017, Nawaz said they have repealed the 'dictator's law'. 

PML-N re-elects Nawaz Sharif as party president

The PML-N leader was elected unopposed during the meeting of party's general council

"You know the reason for my disqualification," said Nawaz, adding that PML-N is still the country's biggest political party. 

The former premier thanked workers for greeting him during his GT Road Rally in August. 

"Respected general council members, history shows the struggle of the Muslim League," Nawaz said further. 

“If there was nothing in the Panama [Papers] then people should have been told this. They should have informed the people of the truth, that Nawaz Sharif did not misuse any public funds,” he said.

“This has been happening for the last 70 years,” said Nawaz, adding that we need to think about what led to the breakup of the country [in 1971].

All countries in the world keep changing their policies with time, and those who ignore changing dynamics and stick to the old practice time passes them by.  

He said it is tragic that 'we' continue to do the same things that led to the breakup of the country. 

"Despite being elected by the people thrice, I was disqualified. Not because of any corruption or malpractice but for not taking a salary from my son," said the ousted premier. 

Nawaz reiterated that the 12 questions he posed at the lawyers' convention in Lahore on August 25 have yet to be answered. 

Talking about cases against democratic leaders, he said the case that led to his disqualification is similar to the one which led to the hanging of an elected prime minister, referring to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. 

However, "[the cases of those] who violated the Constitution remained honest and truthful", claimed Nawaz.  

"I'm warning you, if we don't try to change things then even Pakistan will not forgive us." God helps those who help themselves, he added. 

The former prime minister narrated his democracy-friendly actions of the past, such as not disrupting the previous Pakistan Peoples Party government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and letting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf form a government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after the 2013 elections. 

Nawaz said he is hopeful that party will fare even better in the 2018 elections, adding that the people will give their decision regarding [his] 'eligibility' then.