Ali Muhammad Khan questions Nawaz Sharif’s 1999 removal from power in June 23 NA speech

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team has reviewed this content and determined that it is true.

To reach this conclusion, the iVerify Pakistan team reviewed MNA Ali Muhammad Khan’s speech in the National Assembly (NA) session on June 23, 2024, to ascertain whether he indeed raised questions about why former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was deposed from power in 1999 and exiled abroad.

Since June 23, 2024, multiple posts circulating on social media platform X claimed that PTI MNA Khan acknowledged and asked why Nawaz was removed from power in 1999 and sent abroad. The lawmaker did indeed make such remarks in his NA speech.

In the 1990 elections, Nawaz was elected prime minister for the first time but his stint in office ended prematurely after then-president Ghulam Ishaq Khan dissolved the NA in 1993. In 1997, elections were held once again, and he became prime minister for the second time but as his relations with the military dwindled in 1999, he attempted to remove the then-chief of army staff General Pervez Musharraf, which ended in a military coup.

Nawaz was tried in an Anti-Terrorism Court for “kidnapping, attempted murder, hijacking, terrorism, and corruption” and was handed a life sentence.

Under an agreement facilitated by Saudi Arabia, Nawaz was exiled from the country for the next 10 years and returned in 2007.

HOW IT STARTED

On June 28, 2024, iVerify Pakistan was requested via the website for authentication about a post. The request referred to a June 26 Facebook post with 120 likes.

The caption for the post said: “Thank God, Nawaz Sharif’s narrative won and Imran Niazi’s narrative lost. Today, Ali Muhammad asks why Nawaz Sharif was removed from power as prime minister? When the decisions are left to God, those who celebrate the unjust punishments and eat sweets also confess with their tongues to the whole world that Nawaz Sharif was right and we were wrong.”

The post shared screenshots from various media outlets about the lawmaker’s remarks in the NA about Nawaz.

The shared tickers are reproduced below:

“Why was Nawaz Sharif removed from his position as prime minister, Ali Muhammad Khan.”

“Why is the elected prime minister always removed, Ali Muhammad Khan.”

“Nawaz Sharif was handcuffed and sent out of the country in 1999, Ali Muhammad Khan.”

“Why was Nawaz Sharif handcuffed and sent back in 1999? Ali Muhammad Khan.”

The screenshots were also shared on June 23 by PML-N MPA Hina Parvez Butt with the caption, “Glory to God. Today, even PTI members are speaking in favour of Mian Sahib.”

The post garnered over 39,000 views on X.

An X user, a self-described social media influencer and a PML-N supporter based on his past posts and header image, also shared the screenshots on June 24.

The post received 19,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and public interest as it pertained to a PTI leader speaking in favour of the PML-N chief when both parties are normally very heated rivals.

Reviewing the NA live stream for June 23, Khan can be heard making the remarks at the 2:22:30-mark of the following YouTube video.

However, the lawmaker’s speech is muted and not all all of it is audible at this point though he can be clearly heard asking why Nawaz was sent abroad in handcuffs.

The uncensored speech of the lawmaker does indeed contain him asking why Nawaz was removed from power.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: TRUE

The claim that PTI MNA Ali Muhammad Khan spoke in favour of former prime minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in the NA and questioned the removal of his government in 1999 is true.

The PTI lawmaker did indeed utter the same remarks in his NA speech on June 23, 2024.

Evidence and References

June 23, 2024, National Assembly YouTube stream:
https://youtu.be/m-d-c-bhgzU?si=fQUQHfd-sTKG3MEZ