ISLAMABAD: Shehbaz Sharif, the President of the PML-N, announced that Nawaz Sharif, the party’s leader, is poised to become Prime Minister for the fourth time on February 8.
Speaking to supporters in Sialkot, Shehbaz stated that the people of Sialkot had unequivocally expressed their support for Nawaz Sharif, evident in the massive turnout resembling the party’s lion symbol.
The previous day, the PML-N presented its party manifesto in Lahore, outlining ambitious goals such as reducing the inflation rate to six percent, decreasing unemployment to five percent, and generating at least 10 million jobs during their five-year tenure.
The manifesto also targeted a six percent GDP growth, annual exports reaching $60 billion, and yearly remittances from expatriates amounting to $40 billion.
Without explicitly mentioning the PPP, Shehbaz hinted at a “political benefactor” displaying laborer and farmer cards at rallies, likening them to football match referees.
He asserted that the vast crowd on February 8 would issue a metaphorical yellow card to remove them from the political arena.
Some experts view Sharif as a frontrunner in the upcoming elections. Analyst Hamid Mir suggested that Nawaz Sharif might require the support of former PTI leaders Jahangir Khan Tareen and Pervez Khattak to secure his fourth term as Prime Minister.
Tareen and Khattak, once close confidants of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, distanced themselves from the ruling party following the no-confidence motion in 2021 and subsequent political shifts.
During his address, Sharif pledged to initiate a train service from Lahore to Sialkot if elected. He highlighted the strong youth presence at the rally, emphasizing that all attendees were under the age of 30.
Sharif lamented that the country had deviated from the path set by the party after 2017, asserting that if their government had not been ousted, ample job opportunities would have been available for everyone.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
