• Ex-PM says those who brought PTI chief to power are ‘bigger criminals’, must answer
• PML-N president claims Pakistan would not have needed IMF had he not been ousted
• Elder Sharif lauds Shehbaz, Maryam for ‘surpassing him in development’; claims PML-N won by-polls for its performance

LAHORE: As his party achieved a simple majority in the National Assembly after securing all six seats in the recent by-elections, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday renewed his demand for the accountability of those who ousted him, and later brought PTI chief Imran Khan into power.

In an interaction with newly elected lawmakers from 12 national and provincial constituencies, the PML-N leader did not name the “bigger criminals”, but insisted they be held accountable nonetheless.

In 2023 when he returned from the self-imposed exile in the UK, he had accused former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, ex-spymaster Faiz Hameed, and superior court judges Saqib Nisar, Ijazul Ahsan, and Mazahar Ali Naqvi of orchestrating his ouster from power in 2017.

“Imran Khan was not the only culprit, but those who brought him to power were the bigger criminals, and they should be held fully accountable,” the elder Sharif told the visiting lawmakers-elect. His daughter Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was also present.

He had to let go of his long-held demand ahead of the 2024 general elections due to “political compulsions”.

Now that he has renewed his call again, one of the characters in the alleged conspiracy is already facing court-martial proceedings for abusing power and engaging in political activities. A day earlier, the army spokesperson confirmed that Faiz Hameed’s trial was ongoing.

In his address to lawmakers-elect on Wednesday, the PML-N president recalled the ‘golden days’ of his multiple tenures, lamenting that had he not been sent home in 1999 and 2017, the country would have progressed leaps and bounds. He said those who brought Imran Khan into power after ousting him should be held fully accountable.

“I knew their (then establishment and judges) narrative of calling us ‘chor-daku’ (thieves), but in reality they made a lot of money,” he said and recalled how Pakistan was progressing when Gen Musharraf overthrew his government in 1999, and the Supreme Court disqualified him in 2017.

“A Saudi riyal was valued at Rs11 when Pervez Musharraf imposed martial law in 1999, compared to around Rs78 today. Currency depreciation has made life unaffordable for Pakistanis,” he said and added Pakistan could not make decisions independently due to its reliance on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which his government had bid a goodbye.

“If our rate of progress had remained the same, who knows where we would’ve reached today. There would have been no worries about the IMF or about foreign exchange,” Mr Sharif claimed.

He also taunted the PTI for its ‘boycott’ of the recent by-polls won by the ruling PML-N. He said the PTI claimed it had boycotted the elections, but Omar Ayub’s wife contested in Haripur while its candidates were holding the portraits of Imran Khan in their rallies. “Was that a boycott,” he quipped. The PML-N leader said the PTI frequently changed the police chiefs and the chief secretaries during its tenure in violation of merit.

“Today, merit is upheld and there is a feel-good factor. Shehbaz and Maryam have surpassed me (in development work). Shehbaz loves me and I love him,” he said and added that the people voted for the PML-N due to its performance.

It may be noted that the elder Sharif has remained out of the limelight since 2024 elections, keeping a low profile. However, both premier Shehbaz and CM Maryam claim that they consult the elder Sharif in every matter of national importance.

Speaking on the occasion, Maryam Nawaz said the PTI’s politics of narrative had been exhausted, as people had come to know the difference between “real and sham politics”. “We have a government in Punjab, but we defeated the PTI in Haripur, KP, too. Lambasting the PTI leadership, she said those who criticised “hereditary politics” fielded their wives and relatives in the by-elections.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2025