MUZAFFARABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif officially launched the party's election campaign for Azad Jammu and Kashmir with a major public rally in Muzaffarabad, where he reaffirmed his long-standing connection with the region, made a series of development promises and drew laughter from supporters with a light-hearted remark about becoming the prime minister of Azad Kashmir.
Addressing party workers and supporters in the capital, Nawaz Sharif said it had been a long time since he had last visited the people of Muzaffarabad. "It has been a long time since we last met. I have come to see you after a long gap," he said, describing Azad Kashmir as his "second home" and expressing his affection for its people.
The former prime minister told the gathering that he had always honoured the commitments he made.
He pledged that even if he did not become prime minister, he would visit Azad Kashmir every three months to ensure that the party's election manifesto was being implemented and to monitor progress on promised initiatives.
Praise for Maryam
Nawaz Sharif praised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for her performance, saying she was working tirelessly for the public and would continue informing people about the development projects being undertaken under her leadership.
Referring to his previous tenure in office, he said Pakistan would have made far greater progress had his government remained in power. He alleged that the governments which followed had halted the country's development and caused significant damage.
"If we get another opportunity, we will make up for the lost time," he told the crowd.
Speaking about the upcoming elections, Nawaz Sharif said it was still too early to predict who would emerge victorious. However, he expressed the hope that Muzaffarabad would surpass other cities in terms of development if given the opportunity to serve.
During his address, Nawaz Sharif also made a humorous remark that prompted loud applause and laughter from the audience. "I feel like telling Shehbaz Sharif to make me the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir. You should make Nawaz Sharif the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir... I'm only joking," he said.
Before beginning his speech, Nawaz Sharif also expressed dissatisfaction with the arrangements on the stage, telling organisers they had done "a very poor job" with the setup. He made the remarks moments before addressing the rally.