LAHORE: Former prime minister and Awam Pakistan Party (APP) chief Shahid Khaqan Abbasi says rule of law is an essential part of any country’s development. Addressing participants on the last day of Think Festival 2025 on Sunday, former Prime Minister Abbasi said that the elections were stolen in the country so there could be no political and economic stability. He said the country cannot progress without the rule of law. He said: “I admit all the mistakes of the past, because I have spent almost twenty-five years in this system, the constitutional changes were made without reading.” He said the military will have to stay within constitutional limits to create harmony in the system. The former prime minister said that PPP has ruled Sindh for 16 years, PTI has ruled KP for 11 years and PML-N has been in power for many years, but no one has solved problems like health, education or infrastructure. Abbasi said even the PTI founder did not win in 2018 on his own strength. Right now the country should move forward and all stakeholders of the country should come together to find a solution. Talking about his post as Prime Minister, he said, “For the first time, I reduced the tax on the salaried class, it was introduced in 2018, there was no tax on those earning up to Rs 1.2 million per annum. He said: “The blame game should end now as no party or institution has been exempted from this allegation. “The Constitution, whether one likes it or not, should be followed.
