Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said on Monday that the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) has not sidelined former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and that all major decisions are made with his consultation.
Speaking on the private media channel, Malik said the PML-N believes in public service politics and highlighted the party’s achievements, including developing the motorway network and making Pakistan a nuclear power.
He said the PML-N has never compromised the country’s dignity and integrity.
Taking a jab at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Malik remarked, “We are not of May 9, we are of May 28,” referring to May 28, 1998, when Pakistan conducted six nuclear tests in Chagai under Nawaz Sharif’s leadership.
Criticising the PTI further, Malik said Nawaz Sharif has never acted against the country or national interests. He questioned whether Nawaz had ever written to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), indirectly referring to PTI founder Imran Khan’s letter to the IMF last year.
In February 2023, Imran Khan admitted he had written to the IMF, urging the lender to audit election results before approving a new loan — a move the ruling coalition strongly criticised.
Malik added that nations do not progress through slogans or speeches. He also claimed that the PTI lacks internal democracy and said that more than half of its members are calling for a solution.
