Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has said that the PML-N government is steadfastly following the vision of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and working for the progress and development of the country.
Addressing the book launching ceremony of ‘Nawaz Sharif, Mard-e-Ahan’, authored by renowned journalist Nawaz Raza, at the Lahore Press Club on Saturday, Tarar said that Nawaz Sharif’s politics and personality have two distinct phases – before and after entering politics. He said that a deliberate and organised campaign was launched to spread misconceptions about Nawaz Sharif, particularly among the younger generation.
Rejecting the narrative portraying Nawaz Sharif as a privileged elite, Tarar said that his family had a strong industrial background long before he entered politics. He recalled that Mian Muhammad Sharif had established Asia’s largest steel factory in the 1960s and 1970s, while the family maintained international business links. He added that historical evidence, including photographs of former president Ayub Khan and Chinese leadership visiting the Sharif family’s factories, clearly disproves such propaganda.
The information minister said that despite undergoing a painful process of nationalization, the Sharif family rebuilt industries through hard work and credibility, once again creating employment opportunities in the country. He said that Nawaz Sharif’s entry into politics in 1985 marked the beginning of service-oriented and development-focused politics in Pakistan.
Tarar said that development projects initiated during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure could be seen across the country, from Peshawar to Karachi and Gilgit to Gwadar. He highlighted the Punjab Institute of Cardiology as a landmark project, saying that without it, heart patients would have faced immense difficulties. He added that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif further advanced this vision, citing the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology as an extension of Nawaz Sharif’s mission, now serving patients from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
He said that economic stabilisation achieved through teamwork, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and state institutions, had restored confidence at the international level. He criticised the past political practices that, according to him, promoted hatred, polarisation and attacks on state institutions, calling it unprecedented in the country’s history.
Tarar said that international institutions now acknowledge Pakistan’s improving economy, declining inflation and stabilising indicators. He maintained that public service, relief for citizens and development have always remained the core of Nawaz Sharif’s politics.
Highlighting major infrastructure achievements, he said the motorway project was South Asia’s first of its kind and symbolised Nawaz Sharif’s vision of a modern Pakistan. He also credited Nawaz Sharif’s foresight in strengthening regional connectivity, saying that today Central Asian countries recognise Pakistan’s strategic importance through ports like Karachi and Gwadar.