A VIDEO of Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif's impassioned speech claiming his country would fix its troubled economy and “move ahead of India” has now gone viral.
In his animated address to a crowd in Dera Ghazi Khan last week, Sharif declared that if his government fails to do so “then my name is not Shehbaz Sharif."
He also swore on his elder brother and former prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif's life, saying "I am Nawaz Sharif's fan, his follower. Today, I swear on his blessed life that till the day I have the energy and the will to do so, we will all work together to take Pakistan to greatness and defeat India."
All through the speech Sharif was seen flinging his fist and arms in the air, occasionally jumping at the podium and indulging in a lot of chest thumping and beating the podium desk.
Sharif assured people that his government is working hard to address the common man's needs.
He said, "We will work day and night to ensure the situation in Pakistan improves. The Almighty has always blessed Pakistan."
He then got carried away to make the momentous promise by putting his name at stake.
During his visit to Dera Ghazi Khan, Sharif reportedly announced some essential infrastructure projects in the region.
After his speech, which was shared widely on social media, Sharif faced widespread criticism.
Many people accused him of indulging in "tall promises" with "no concrete evidence on ground". Several users on X even mocked the Pakistani prime minister.
Pakistan is currently under the IMF's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) having received $7-billion bailout to stabilise its economy in September last year.
The first review of the IMF bailout is due in March, and the Pakistan government and its central bank are hopeful of meeting the targets.
Sharif has been pledging to end Pakistan’s dependency on foreign aid and IMF bailouts and put the country on path of growth.
Earlier this month, the Pakistan prime minister had said that Islamabad wants to resolve all issues with India, "including Kashmir", through talks, and a 'dialogue' was the only way forward.
Pakistan had downgraded its diplomatic relations with India and suspended bilateral trade after Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its autonomy in August 2019.
India has stated repeatedly that for talks to happen, Pakistan must eradicate terrorism from its soil.
"Talks and terror cannot go hand-in-hand" India's ministry of external affairs has said.
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