Shehbaz Sharif says his tenure as Pak PM "most difficult time"
Aug 10, 2023
Islamabad [Pakistan], August 10 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his farewell speech at the National Assembly, called his 16-month-long tenure as the "most difficult test" of his life, Dawn reported.
As President Arif Alvi approved the dissolution of the country's National Assembly, the PM said goodbye to the national assembly. "I never had to go through such a difficult test before in my 38-year-long [political] career as the country was mired in a severe economic crisis, oil prices remained high and there was political chaos,” he added.
Sharif also thanked all the lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for electing him as the PM and showed confidence in him that he can handle the post.
At the national assembly, the PM also made clear that he did not put 'any political rival' in jail, as per Dawn.
The government faced several challenges and difficulties during its 16-month tenure, he said, adding, “We had to bear the burden of the previous government’s failure and negligence”.
The premier painted a bleak picture of the aftermath of what he termed the previous government’s failures. He said his government did “not send any political rival to jail or bothered them unfairly. This was never our practice.”
The premier condemned the May 9 episode when protests had erupted across the country following PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest in a graft case. While the protests were underway, several properties, including military installations, were vandalised, reported Dawn.
“May 9 will be remembered as a black day,” PM Shehbaz said, paying tribute to the armed forces for their sacrifices. “It was a rebellion against the army, the state, and [Chief of Army Staff] General Asim Munir,” he added.
PM Shehbaz urged the House to adopt a resolution and pledge that “no one will be allowed to commit such acts against the state or army of Pakistan ever again”. He also recalled the sacrifices rendered in the fight against terrorism.
He mentioned the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) as one of the achievements of his government and expressed the hope that the interim government would work further on its progress, according to Dawn.
Speaking on Balochistan, the PM said the province lagged behind other provinces in many ways. “The people of Balochistan have some other complaints as well. Their demands are fair … During my 16 months in the government, I tried my best to fulfil their fair demands,” he said, stressing that Balochistan’s issues needed to be addressed and resolved with sincerity.
Today, the PM is all set to meet the leader of the opposition to decide the name of the caretaker PM.
