Nawaz Sharif riles up Lahore crowd for 'revolution', promises new 'programme' on Independence Day
Specifically, when is he going to come back and lead the revolution?
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's caravan arrived in Lahore from Gujranwala late on Saturday, the fourth and last day of his 'homecoming' rally, which had set off from Islamabad on August 9.
"Have you accepted Nawaz Sharif's disqualification?" he asked supporters while making a brief stop at Shahdara. "Everybody said they did not accept the [Supreme Court's] decision," he told the gathered crowd.
"Nobody has accepted this verdict. I will not sit in peace and accept it, and neither will you. Do you promise me?" he asked, receiving a resounding "yes!" in response. "Let's head to Data Darbar," he had said, putting off the rest of his much-awaited final speech for later. It had been reported earlier that Sharif may not stop at Shahdara, but head to Data Darbar directly; however, he chose to briefly stop and address workers and urge them to head towards the venue of the final speech.
Meanwhile, a large gathering of PML-N loyalists had amassed at Data Darbar, choking the area.
Roads around Lahore remained blocked for the event, with traffic running only one-way. Shops had been directed to remain closed.
Nearly 8,000 police officers were deployed to ensure security at the venue of the speech, while 2,000 traffic wardens had been deputed to control traffic.
"What am I seeing today in Lahore?" Nawaz Sharif said as he started his address to the mammoth crowd at Data Darbar. "I have never seen anything like this before."
"You made me a prime minister, and five people — five people — disqualified me," the deposed prime minister said, stepping into his stump speech for the rally.
"Tell me, is their verdict acceptable to you?" he asked, to loud shouts of dissent.
"I have come to you after four days on the road. Everyone in Pakistan is protesting Nawaz Sharif's disqualification," he told his supporters.
Turning his guns on the Supreme Court judges who deemed him unfit to hold public office, he said: "Those who disqualified Nawaz Sharif, are they themselves qualified [to make that decision]?"
"Nawaz Sharif was not involved in any corruption or any misappropriation. They disqualified me for not taking a salary from my son — what is that to you [the judges]? Whether I take something from my son or not, what is that to you?"
"They have been treating your prime ministers the same way for the past 70 years," he said, addressing the boisterous crowd. "Is this acceptable to you?"
Recalling that he was elected on promises that he would end electricity load-shedding and initiate development projects, Nawaz Sharif asked his supporters if he had not delivered.
"When so many good things are happening in the country, is this how your prime minister should be treated?"
"No! This is unacceptable to us!" he said.
"Three dictators have devoured 30 years of this nation's history. This cannot do! Pakistan has to change!" he roared, ramping up the gears.
"The passion and spirit I'm seeing is a harbinger of a revolution!" he said. "If this revolution does not arrive, nothing will change. If this revolution does not happen, we will become the worst nation in the region."
"No other country has experienced upheavals in its democratic process like we have," he claimed.
"Who are these people who have disrupted our progress? Do you not think that they should be held responsible?
"The people who've played with Pakistan for the last 70 years — don't you all think that they should be held accountable?" he asked his supporters, who responded with a resounding "yes!"
"You will have to take a brave stand against these people!" he urged.
"This country has already been a victim of a grave accident in 1971 — I hope that something similar never happens again," he said, recalling the secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan after a political falling-out over which wing of the country would install a prime minister.
Turning again to his 'achievements' as a leader, he asked: "Is the Pakistan of 2017 not better than the Pakistan of 2013?", which was responded with loud shouts of "yes!"
"Shouldn't Nawaz Sharif have been praised for what he achieved?" he asked.
"Shouldn't the 200 million of this country hold dominion over its affairs?" he continued, again to resounding cheers of "yes!"
"Shouldn't the vote of the 200 million people of this country be held sacrosanct?" he asked.
"Nawaz Sharif will make this happen for you. If you order it, I will offer my life and my power to this cause," he roared.
"Nawaz Sharif has never deceived you," he continued. Despite everything — the dharnas and the conspiracies against our government — we have delivered on our promises, he claimed.
"Think of where we would be if we hadn't been held back [by our opponents]," he said.
"I wish for us to have a better future. To do that, we have to change the system. This system is plagued by a virus, and we have to cure it," he said. "[Right now] we are not fit to stand up to the world. When Pakistan changes, your destiny will change too," he said.
"There's no social, judicial, political or economic justice. We will bring a system that will give justice to whoever has been wronged. We will dispense justice in 90 days," he thundered.
"We will need to make new rules. We will need to change the Constitution. But we will change the system," he promised.
"Do you want this naya Pakistan or not? Where your vote is respected? Where your honour is preserved?" he asked, to resounding assent.
"The sacrifices we gave to create Pakistan have still not borne fruit. For 70 years, we have been meandering around. Look at our neighbours: do any of them suffer from the problems we do?" he asked.
"You will have to support me," he said. "I am no longer a prime minister, but you have to support me."
"I have come out for justice, not for power," he continued. "I have come not for my rule, but for your rule over this country."
"Swear your loyalty to me, but swear truly," he urged. "Tell me, what you swear to, will you fulfill?" he asked, receiving loud cheers in response.
"Will you stand with me as we bring a revolution to Pakistan? It is August 14 day after tomorrow: remember the sacrifices of the people who made Pakistan. We have to honour their sacrifices. They must be rolling in their graves at what we have done with this country," he said.
"I will never forget the love I have received on this trip. I promise to bring forth my [new] programme [manifesto] on August 14, and I have full faith you will back me when I do," he said.
"Tell me, will you remember your promise to me?" he roared, inviting loud shouts of "we will!"
Nawaz Sharif riles up Lahore crowd for 'revolution', promises new 'programme' on Independence Day
Sharif's address at Data Darbar was the culmination of a four-day road trip through the PML-N's power base.
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