Leader of Opposition and Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Shahbaz Sharif has defended his "beggars can't be choosers" that drew him the ire of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his supporters.
Earlier, in response to a question on appeasing the United States for better diplomatic ties, Shehbaz said, "beggars can't be choosers, please understand".
"We have to feed our nation [...] we have to send our children to school, we can't fight with someone, can't raise slogans against others," he was quoted as saying by ARY News. "Who are we, we are the country which is fighting for its survival."
Defending his previous remarks, Shahbaz Sharif said that true freedom can never be achieved without financial independence.
He added that unfortunately, Pakistan is not economically independent and the country is surviving on loans from foreign agencies.
"For those misinterpreting my remark, it has always been my conviction that true independence comes from self-reliance. The concept of sovereignty is incomplete without economic sovereignty, which cannot be achieved without blood, sweat and tears," he tweeted.
Shahbaz Sharif, who is touted to become the next prime minister of Pakistan, added that this is not the first time that he voiced his opinion regarding this fact, but he has had the same opinion for decades.
Several PML-N supporters said that similar statements were made by Imran Khan in the past but Shehbaz Sharif's words were being twisted.
( With inputs from ANI )
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