With general elections less than three weeks away, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif on Thursday finally turned up to his party’s election rally, and said that his mission was to make Pakistan “stand on its feet again”.

The PML-N had kick-started its much-awaited election campaign, led by Maryam, earlier this week in Okara. The party had been facing criticism, especially from the PPP, for “staying indoors” — a dig at its underwhelming canvassing — despite polls being near.

At a rally in Hafizabad, the former prime minister — who returned to Pakistan in October last year after spending four years in self-imposed exile — spoke briefly before giving way to Maryam, whose was the final speech.

Nawaz, who arrived at the venue in a helicopter, recalled that when he was ousted from office in 2018, the people of Pakistan lost their representative. “Had I not been removed, not one person in Hafizabad would have been unemployed,” he said.

“If I was not removed, there would not have been a single problem that is plaguing the country today. The dollar would have been at Rs100, roti would cost Rs4 and Pakistan would have earned a reputable position in the world,” the PML-N supremo said.

He highlighted how the PML-N had eradicated terrorism and loadshedding in its tenure. “My mission is to make Pakistan stand on its feet and God willing we will fulfil this mission,” Nawaz promised, concluding his brief speech.

Meanwhile, PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz said “the sher [tiger] will roar on Feb 8”.

“In London, Nawaz had said that we are people of May 28 and not those of May 9 […] the people of May 28 are the ones who made the country and the people of May 9 are those who destroyed the country,” she claimed, referring to the violent protests that erupted across Pakistan following PTI founder Imran Khan’s arrest.

“A man who is lying behind bars can never sympathise with the youth,” she said in a reference to Imran but did not take his name.

Maryam further stated that Nawaz led Pakistan to the path of progress, adding that even now the PML-N supremo was spending his time chalking measures to bring relief to the people.