ISLAMABAD: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif says the forthcoming general election will be a referendum to make a new Pakistan, provide speedy, inexpensive and genuine justice and end other ills being faced by Pakistan.

“US drone attacks had stopped during my tenure as prime minister, but they have now been started again,” he said while addressing a public meeting in Jaranwala, Faisalabad, on Saturday evening.

Sharif said the tradition of overthrowing elected representatives must end in Pakistan. “It’s people’s prerogative only to elect and reject prime minsters,” he said and asked the attendees if they will accept such an attempt made by only “five people,” in a reference to five-member bench of the Supreme Court that disqualified him to hold the public office.

“Did you see the sea of empty chairs in Lahore rally [of opposition parties]?” the ex-premier asked. “There’s no comparison between this rally and the one on Mall Road Lahore.”

He said he remembers 1999 when his government had carried out nuclear test; Pakistan was progressing and people were getting right opportunities for employment; the country was becoming an economic power but Pervez Musharraf had put a stop to all that by overthrowing my government.

“Even this time around when we assumed power the country was facing multifaceted challenges including terrorism and economic woes. But through right decisions we addressed those issues. Before I was again ousted unlawfully.”

Reminding the audience about progress during his tenure as the premier, Sharif said his party’s government stopped drone attacks, brought back electricity, ended unemployment and put the country back on track of progress.

The former prime minister also criticised Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) chief Tahir-ul Qadri on a lighter note, saying he did not get scared by drone cameras hovering over his head unlike “Maulvi Tahir-ul Qadri” who got panicked by an electric spark at the Mall Road rally. “These cowards are coming to contest us. They will be badly defeated in this year’s elections.”

When someone on the stage blocked his view of the audience, he said he was full of passion and energy today; “don’t dare and come between me and the masses today.”