Offense Taken: Notable Recent Quotes of PM Shahbaz Sharif
Great leaders make nations great. Or something to that effect?
A leader is great because he aspires to bring his people to greater heights. To develop and grow his nation. Or in the case of our Dishonorable Crime Minister, the Spiritual Brand Ambassador of Cherry Blossom Shoe Polish and the sitting leaders(currently) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan — it can also be the opposite.
Leaders express themselves in words and actions, and in rare instances ideally, one may contradict the other. More notably, one may be quite offensive to the listener, and shocking indeed. For instance, former President George W. Bush recently slipped up while describing the Russian invasion of Ukraine as brutal and unnecessary — and accidentally identified his own brutal and unnecessary invasion of Iraq decades prior. His audience laughed. I did not. The people of Iraq surely did not find any humor. Enough said.
Here, we take a look at some of the most notable recent quotes from Shahbaz Sharif, the latest Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Beggars can’t be choosers.
Shortly before taking office, Shahbaz Sharif was asked on live TV (Geo News) by an anchor about Pakistani reliance on the United States — because of one his political colleagues (Khawaja Asif) had remarked that the “US is our ventilator. We (Pakistan) cannot exist without it.” The anchor further questioned how equal footing can be sought in relations with this attitude. Mr. Sharif answered, leaving the anchor in actual open-mouthed shock on live TV, with this now infamous quote. There have been some convoluted attempts to justify the quote but there is yet to be any consistency from his party.
I will sell my clothes to provide relief to the (Pakistani) public.
In a political rally in early May 2022, Sharif claimed that he would sell his own clothes to provide relief for the Pakistani public. He actually began by calling on the provincial government to standardize and lower prices of essential food items — ending with a challenge that if this were not implemented as he ordered, he would sell his clothes and feed the nation. Since this was a one-way speech and nobody questioned him, he continued on to finish the speech to cheers. Strangely, there has not be notable follow-up from Pakistani media on this claim even as inflation soars in the nation. Former PM Imran Khan echoed the nation’s (and mine) sentiment and exclaimed in an opposing rally “For God’s sake, please don’t take off your clothes. We’ll die of fear.”
There is no such conspiracy. Our National Security Council agreed. (Paraphrased)
In his Official Address to the nation just a few days ago,Sharif claimed that “there is no conspiracy” against Pakistan. There was no foreign-imposed regime change, in other words. Since Pakistani media can’t be bothered to fact check his own past, it should be noted that the National Security Council instructed the issuance of a demarche and responded to the proceedings of a meeting between a Pakistani Ambassador and US official where undiplomatic language was used — which is the content of the letter. Imran Khan never claimed the letter was written by American government or officials. Its a letter written by our own Ambassador in Washington with detailed minute-keeping of the discussion, where Imran Khan was threatened by name — he was asked to be removed via a no-confidence motion. Regardless of conspiracy, there was certainly foreign intervention in Pakistani domestic politics as evident by this development. Sharif had earlier accepted in the National Parliament that the letter was valid, but claimed the words from a Pakistani Ambassador only — a gross misrepresentation of what a minute-taking document is.
The reason I mentioned the above quote is because Sharif had actually claimed he’d resign and engage in national elections if this letter were proven to be authentic.
He has yet to resign.
