Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, while addressing a charged crowd at Committee Chowk in Rawalpindi late Wednesday night, said that millions of people had voted to elect their leader but unfortunately a few had conspired to overthrow the democratic government.
"It happened with me for the third time. Is this not an insult to your vote?" Nawaz asked his gathered supporters.
“This gathering here serves as a referendum. The court of the people of Pakistan has given its verdict in my favour,” the PML-N leader claimed.
For the past 70 years, not a single prime minister has been allowed to complete his or her tenure, he observed.
“We have to make sure that the mandate of the people is respected in the future. We will do this in the interest of Pakistan,” he said, adding that until the mandate of people is not respected, Pakistan can not progress.
The court had additionally directed the opening of multiple corruption references against Nawaz, his family and other related individuals in various accountability courts in the country -- something the PML-N has chosen to gloss over in recent communications meant for public consumption.
"I don't expect the people to restore me, but I want you to support me for the betterment of the country," Nawaz told his followers.
At the end of his speech, he thanked the people for coming out in his support and announced that he will spend the night in Rawalpindi and leave for Lahore at around 11am on Thursday.
Sources in the PML-N claim that Nawaz Sharif will either stay at Punjab House or at the residence of Senator Chaudhary Tanvir.
Earlier in the day, the deposed premier had left Punjab House in Islamabad around noon, kicking off what is expected to be a long road-trip back to his hometown, Lahore, via the Grand Trunk (GT) Road.
Progress was painfully slow, however, and his convoy was held up at the Faizabad Interchange in Islamabad for hours after he reached there in the late afternoon.