Calls for 'revolution'

Photo: The Canadian Press

Deposed Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif called Saturday for "a change and revolution" in the country to ensure the sanctity of the vote as he addressed a large gathering of his supporters in his home town of Lahore.

Concluding his four-day journey, which began in Islamabad and culminated in a rally in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, Sharif was clearly delighted to address the tens of thousands who gathered near the famous shrine of Data Darbar.

After a Supreme Court decision disqualified him last month for concealing assets, Sharif travelled with a long cavalcade from Islamabad Wednesday. He stayed overnight in three different cities. Authorities stopped vehicles, except for Sharif's and ministers, at the entrance to the city because of the massive crowds.

Sharif said that across his journey he saw that citizens had not accepted his disqualification and asked his supporters to await his next move, without elaborating.

Sharif said that over the past 70 years, no prime minister in Pakistan has been permitted to complete their term, making the country and its people suffer.

He told the crowd that he was ready to give his life to change the destiny of the country and its people.