Pakistan’s difficult phase will be over in next two years, says Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has expressed the hope that Pakistan will come out of difficulties in the next two years by taking difficult decisions as his party is all set to form a coalition government in the Centre.

“I believe the next 1.5 or 2 years will be difficult but we have to stay united [during the difficult times] and face our opponents,” he said while addressing the parliamentary party’s meeting on Wednesday. “Pakistan will come out of the difficulties in the next 1.5 to 2 years,” he added.

The former premier said Pakistan is “badly injured” and the difficult decisions were the need of the hour to address the country’s woes, Geo News reported.He said the upcoming government will have to provide relief to the masses by bringing down inflation and food prices and stabilising local currency value against the US dollar.

The PML-N supremo also heaped praise on his younger brother and party president Shehbaz Sharif, saying he dealt with immense challenges during his brief stint in power.

Nawaz said he would not have completed his time in power had he been nominated to lead the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government instead of his younger brother. “In the current circumstances, Shehbaz Sharif is the best choice,” he said while officially declaring him the candidate for the prime minister’s slot. Nawaz said party leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will contest the election for the National Assembly speaker.

In a veiled jibe at his political rival, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, Nawaz said it was “never heard of that such [harsh] words were used against a a prime minister”. “We invited you at every point but you exhibited uncivilised behaviour in your rule,” he said.

Moreover, Nawaz pledged to make motorways in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan as well as Punjab, where the party has formed the government in alliance with the PPP. He then prayed for courage to serve the country together.The PML-N and the PPP had last week joined forces to form a coalition government at the Centre.