Lahore, November 26,2025: Former prime minister and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said Pakistan’s political and economic troubles were not caused by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan alone, but also by “those who brought him to power”.
Addressing newly elected parliamentarians in Lahore, the three-time premier said the by-election results showed that “lies, abuse, indecency, immorality and chaos” had been rejected by voters.
Nawaz criticised the PTI government for pushing the country’s economy and diplomacy “to the brink of collapse.” He said the responsibility for the situation lay not just with Imran Khan but also with “those who facilitated his rise,” calling for action against all involved.
Claiming that Pakistan was progressing rapidly during his tenure, he said his government had freed the country from dependence on the IMF and other multilateral lenders. “If the pace of development had continued, today Pakistan would have had a significant place in the world,” he added.
He accused the PTI of undoing economic and diplomatic gains and creating a culture of political indecency. “During the previous government, the country only saw destruction,” he said, adding that the PTI “seemed to have come to play cricket — and did just that for five years.”
Nawaz praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for stabilising the economy and improving Pakistan’s diplomatic standing. He said the current government had averted default and reduced inflation within one and a-half years, claiming the country was now “set to reach new heights of development.”
He also criticised the PTI for announcing a boycott of the by-elections but fielding candidates in multiple constituencies. “What kind of boycott was it when Omar Ayub’s wife was contesting?” he asked.
Maryam: ‘Not easy to end Nawaz Sharif’s politics’
Taking the stage, Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz said it had “never been easy to end Nawaz Sharif’s political career,” noting that “a new group of conspirators” emerged every time to claim otherwise.
She recalled the hardships faced by her family, including exile, and said the previous government had politicised personal vendettas. When the PML-N formed the federal government, she said, opponents predicted Pakistan’s default, “but today people are no longer paying attention to their calls.”
Maryam said the PML-N’s strong showing in the recent by-elections was the result of the federal and Punjab governments’ performance. The ruling party swept six National Assembly and six Punjab Assembly seats, according to unofficial results. The PPP secured the remaining Punjab Assembly seat (PP-269).
By-elections were held in NA-18 (Haripur), NA-96 and NA-104 (Faisalabad), NA-129 (Lahore), NA-143 (Sahiwal) and NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan), along with PP-73 (Sargodha), PP-87 (Mianwali), PP-98, PP-115 and PP-116 (Faisalabad), PP-203 (Sahiwal) and PP-269 (Muzaffargarh).
