MULTAN: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif has claimed that though his party is being pushed to the wall, “this wall” will be demolished on July 25.

Addressing a public meeting on Sunday, Shahbaz warned that he would not be able to control the masses if the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) failed to control pre-poll and polling day rigging.

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Charged with emotions, Shahbaz said he would sacrifice his life for the honour of vote, a slogan being raised by Nawaz Sharif since his disqualification in the Panamagate case.

Rejecting the conviction of Hanif Abbasi, he said the manner in which the judgement was announced was regrettable.

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He said that Abbasi was disqualified for he was far ahead of Shaikh Rashid in the contest for NA-60.

He said though the decision to postpone the election in the constituency was a welcoming step, the question remained unanswered as to why the court verdict was announced three days before the election.

He said on one hand the Supreme Court and FIA gave Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur enough time to contest election in the money laundering case, on the other Abbasi was convicted well ahead of the date set by the court earlier.

Shahbaz said that the Turkish president had called him by phone and inquired about Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.

“He expressed his best wishes for Nawaz Sharif and I requested him to help me build Pakistan and he promised to do so,” he said.

He said Erdogon said his prayers were with Pakistan and Sharif family.

Shahbaz said that he had not committed any wrongdoing in the Multan Metro Bus project. He said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan had leveled allegations of corruption in the project but had failed to give any proof.

He said that initial estimated cost of the Peshawar Metro Bus Project was Rs14 billion which had now increased up to Rs68.5 billion.

He said that the contract of Peshawar project was given to a firm which was blacklisted.

The PML-N president said Nawaz Sharif was his leader and would remain so.

He said that Nawaz Sharif was being treated in jail like a prisoner of war. “He has been put in the jail but no one can mute his voice,” he said.

He said that Nawaz Sharif had eliminated electricity loadshedding and strengthened the country’s economy.

He said that the public gathering of Imran Khan in Multan had badly flopped.

He said that Imran khan made excuses that the people did not participate in his public gatherings due to hot weather.

“I am also addressing a public gathering in Multan and not in Europe. A large number of people are here to attend my public gathering while the people did not attend Imran Khan’s public gathering,” he said.

He said that the people will get released Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Hanif Abbasi by giving their vote to the symbol of lion.

He said that a state of the art children hospital and a burn unit had been established in Multan while he got completed Lodhran-Khanewal road in a short time. He said that Nishtar Hospital II would be constructed after coming into power again.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2018