- PML-N chief says masterminds behind PTI rise are ‘bigger criminals’ than Imran Khan
- Highlights 2018 elections, 1.6 million rejected votes and how ballot papers found in gutters and streets
- Blames previous government for chaos, anarchy, and slander in corridors of power
- Praises PM Shehbaz and CM Maryam Nawaz for restoring stability and averting default
LAHORE: PML-N supremo and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday demanded accountability for those responsible for bringing Imran Khan to power, asserting that they were bigger “criminals” than the PTI founder himself, emphasizing that past governance failures had left deep scars on the country.
Addressing a gathering of the lawmakers elected recently in the by-elections, Nawaz said that holding these actors accountable is essential for Pakistan’s political stability and future progress.
“Imran Khan was not the only criminal; the ones who brought him to power were the bigger criminals, and they should be held fully accountable,” Nawaz stated.
Recalling the 2018 general elections, Nawaz highlighted that PTI had emerged as the largest party, winning 115 of 270 National Assembly seats, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan. He referenced allegations of rigging raised by PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif, noting 1.6 million rejected votes and the discovery of ballot papers in gutters and streets nationwide. “You know their narrative well—they called others robbers and dacoits while they were the bigger robbers themselves,” Nawaz said.
ایک بیٹی کیلئے اس سے فخر کی بات اور کیا ہو گی کہ اسکا والد پنجاب میں ھوئے شاندار ترقیاتی کارناموں کی فہرست قوم کو بتا رہا ہو pic.twitter.com/ncOGpvtl2n
— Rashid Nasrullah (@RashidNasrulah) November 26, 2025
He further remarked that the people now understand the chaos, anarchy, and slander propagated by the previous government. “Can a country progress under such circumstances and with such people residing in corridors of power?” he asked, stressing the impact of mismanagement on national development.
Nawaz recalled that prior to the 2018 shift in power, Pakistan was on a path of progress with low inflation and higher growth rates. He highlighted the dramatic depreciation of the Saudi riyal, from Rs11 in 1999 when Pervez Musharraf imposed martial law, to around Rs78 today, underscoring the economic hardships faced by ordinary Pakistanis. He added that dependence on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has restricted the country’s ability to make independent decisions.
Politics of hatred, abuse, indecency, chaos, and discord have all been decisively defeated by the will of Allah Almighty. pic.twitter.com/Zz6byiiEhV
— PMLN (@pmln_org) November 26, 2025
“If our rate of progress had remained the same, who knows where we would have reached today. There would be no worries about IMF or foreign exchange,” Nawaz said. “Now we have all these worries; our reserves, IMF approvals, and other decisions are out of our hands.”
The PML-N leader praised voters for supporting the party based on performance and lauded PM Shehbaz Sharif and CM Maryam Nawaz for efforts to restore economic stability, claiming the government had “taken the economy out of the trenches” and averted default.
He highlighted provincial initiatives such as low-cost housing, hospital projects, student laptops, scholarships, and flagship programmes like “Suthra Punjab” and the green bus scheme as evidence of progress.
Nawaz also pointed to improved security and social protection, with ration cards and health facilities being distributed to vulnerable families without discrimination. “People of all beliefs and religions are our brothers and sisters,” he said, reinforcing the inclusive nature of governance in Punjab.
