Nawaz Sharif Accuses Military of Coercing Judges to Remove Him from Power, Calls for Justice in Upcoming Polls

 In a televised address to the nation, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif accused the military establishment of exerting pressure on senior judges to remove him from power between 2014 and 2017. Sharif claimed that the establishment visited the residences of senior judges and coerced them into delivering verdicts against him. The former three-time prime minister, who recently received acquittals in the Al-Azizia Steel mill corruption case, the Avenfield graft case, and the Flagship corruption case, expressed relief and gratitude towards the nation for standing by his side.

Sharif further asserted that a conspiracy was plotted against him in August 2014 during cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's sit-in protests in Islamabad. He alleged that this conspiracy aimed to bring Khan to power and ultimately led to his removal in 2017 through the Supreme Court. Sharif called on the people to render their judgment during the upcoming polls on February 8, 2024, to ensure a prosperous Pakistan. Expressing discontent with being compared to the "Sicilian mafia and Godfather" by the Supreme Court bench, Sharif argued that the people of Pakistan had suffered from inflation and price hikes as a result of his removal from power.

He emphasized his desire for prosperity to return to the country after the polls. Sharif, a dominant figure in Pakistani politics for over three decades, faced a setback in his career when the Supreme Court's Panamagate case ruling led to his ousting in July 2017. During a conversation with party leaders, Sharif attributed his disqualification as premier to a conspiracy involving the Supreme Court bench, his son's financial transactions, and two former army chiefs. He demanded an investigation into those responsible and the delivery of justice to break the "cycle" of such actions.

Despite his call for accountability, Sharif declared that he did not seek revenge from those behind his government's ouster. Known as the "Lion of Punjab," Sharif returned to Pakistan in October following a four-year self-imposed exile in the UK. The acquittals in his corruption cases have led legal experts to speculate that he may become eligible to participate in elections and hold public office once again. As the PML-N leader, he has been a prominent force in Pakistan's tumultuous political landscape, repeatedly forced to resign before his term ended.