'Nalayak, Anaari': Ex-Pak PM Nawaz Sharif launches scathing attack on Imran Khan

In a scathing attack on the sitting government, Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called Pak's PM Imran Khan 'nalayak' (worthless) as he accused his centrist populist Tehreek-e-Insaf party of stealing the mandate in 2018 general elections, as a result of which, he said, Pakistanis have been suffering from "inflation, poverty, and unemployment". Addressing the Pakistani citizens in a video broadcast, Sharif mocked Khan for taking the country "on the path of development," as he asked, "Do you know how our government had brought out Pakistan from darkness?" 

"Some people stole the 2018 election and took the country away from the path of happiness and success. Later they converted one 'nalayak' (worthless), 'na ahal' (ineligible), and 'anaari' (unskilled) fellow's defeat into victory and let him govern the country," former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif said condemning Pakistan PM Imran Khan.

"Due to that, the people of the country suffered a lot. We all are suffering the consequences of it in terms of inflation, poverty, and unemployment. Now it is time to teach them a lesson," he further added.

Hailing the center-right, conservative party Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the ex-Pak leader said that people were now supporting other political parties after the Imran Khan government failed the country. Referring to the assembly elections in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Sharif sang laurels about PML-N, saying:  "We both share deep and warm relations. It is a relation of blood. And the glimpse of it could be seen during the PML-N rallies. I have no words to express my gratitude for the way you welcomed Maryam Nawaz and other party members. You have kept my respect by doing it," he said in a video posted on Pakistan Muslim League (N) Twitter handle.  

Pakistan will contest the elections for the Legislative Assembly on July 25 in the occupied regions of Kashmir on July 25 despite the coronavirus, ignoring the appeals to postpone the polls for at least two months. Last year, the country also contested the legislative assembly election in the occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, according to ANI. The population in the occupied territory has reportedly been struggling with myriad challenges due to lack of development. There are no gas pipelines in the region, which forces the mostly rural populations to use wood for cooking, and small  2500-megawatt power generating stations result in heavy load shedding. Residents complain that the electricity from Mangala Dam and other power projects is diverted to Pakistani towns and cities.

Sharif accuses Bajwa of planting 'puppet' government 

Nawaz Sharif had earlier lambasted Pak's military and the intelligence agency of planting the "puppet" Imran Khan government, accusing Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa of overthrowing him. he had called Pakistan's PM an "incapable" man imposed on the nation. "Gen. Bajwa is a direct culprit and he will have to give an answer to this," Sharif stated, according to PTI. 

(With agency inputs)