Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has said that the decision to disqualify him from politics for life was taken out of ‘revenge’, and was not an actual court’s decision.
He expressed these views during a pre-recorded interview that aired on Sunday October 9, during which he detailed the ordeal him and his family went through since the passing of his wife Kulsoom Nawaz, while he and his daughter PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz were in jail.
“I remember all those scenes, how my wife was on her deathbed and how cruelly we were treated — and those people who were making fun,” he started off, adding that during the trials for the Avenfield case, he had told the courts that his wife was ill and in a coma, and pleaded with them to change the date of the final verdict hearing.
“I told Maryam they have announced the decision and we will go [back to Pakistan],” he said, explaining that they had tried to wake Kulsoom up as shown in videos being circulated at the time, but then admitted defeat and bid her farewell and returned to Pakistan.
The three time former prime minister said that he was in court when he heard news of his wife’s condition worsening and her being put in intensive care, and upon returning to the jail he asked to be allowed to speak to his family, but was refused.
“I pleaded with them to let me talk, but they didn’t allow it and took me to my cell and after three hours, they came and said ‘we are very sorry your wife has died’,” he said, adding, “She died and we were given this news in jail. These are events that are never forgotten. This loss can never be repaired or forgotten.”
He lamented that five years of his and his family’s life had been wasted and that despite courts now questioning the ‘draconian’ lifetime disqualification laws, his case is not being revisited. “So where is the rectification for [what happened with me],” Nawaz asked, adding, “Disqualified for life and removed from the PML-N presidency. This is revenge, not a court’s decision.”
He said that the judges who took such decisions should be held accountable and said, “Today they will find nothing other than shame when they reflect on themselves.” When he was asked about him possibly becoming prime minister for a fourth time, he said ‘Hopefully’.
