LAHORE, May 28: The PML-N leaders at a meeting at Lohari Gate late Monday night praised Mian Nawaz Sharif for his role in making Pakistan a nuclear power despite all international pressures.

They said Mr Sharif had made Pakistan an invincible country from defence point of view.

Sirdar Zulfiqar Khosa, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Pervaiz Malik, Maimoona Hashmi, Ahsan Iqbal, Ajasam Sharif and Bilal Yasin were among the speakers.

They criticised Gen Musharraf for banishing Mr Sharif, the leader who made Pakistan a nuclear power, and detaining Dr A Q Khan without whose expertise Pakistan could not have been able to join the nuclear club.

They pledged to continue their struggle for the restoration of democratic system. Many said the Sharifs would return to Pakistan, no matter what the consequences.