ATTOCK: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, while addressing a worker’s convention and iftar dinner at the Lalazar Stadium, said he had been struck out because he loved the people and the people loved him.

He said he saluted PML-N’s youth workers, adding that the relationship between him and Attock’s Sheikh Aftab went back to when he had been in Attock fort and his son was in Attock jail.

He claimed he had previously been charged in a fake plane hijacking case and was now facing allegations about his son’s salary, but the people would not believe these fake allegations.

He went on to say that by removing him, the nation’s development had been stopped.

Mr Sharif also criticised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Imran Khan, saying: “Attock and its surrounding areas are being developed and everyone sees it. But Imran Khan has done nothing for the development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; he is a liar and has been lying from the start.”

Mr Sharif told the convention that in 2013, there was no electricity in the country and loadshedding could last 20 hours, but now loadshedding had almost ended. He added that the government had controlled law, order and terrorism in Karachi.

A motorway is being constructed from Attock to Dera Ismail Khan and Quetta, he said and promised to reduce electricity prices if the PML-N is elected again.

Before the PML-N quaid’s speech, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sheikh Aftab addressed the gathering.

Mr Aftab said the PML-N would be in government again with the power and help of the people.

Ms Nawaz told the convention: “18 years ago, my father was concealed in Attock fort because of the love of the people, and now he is struggling for the respect of the vote of the people.”

She said Mr Sharif was appearing in court regularly, but the other 400 people who were part of this case never came to court.

Nawaz Sharif was removed from the party presidency and declared illegible for life for politics, she said, and voters were not allowed to vote for the PML-N. She said people continue to love and vote for Mr Sharif and the party.

She also addressed workers who have left the party and said that even though opponents were saying the upcoming elections would be rigged, they would not allow any kind of rigging.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2018