#ISupportNawazBecause Trends on Twitter Amid Imran Khan's Scathing Attack Pakistan's Former PM

Since escaping an assassination attempt earlier this month, Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan has escalated his attacks on current premier Shehbaz Sharif and his elder brother Nawaz Sharif, the country's longest-serving Prime Minister. He has often derided them as "thieves", "corrupt" and "looters".

#ISupportNawazBecause is currently trending on Twitter amid a pushback from Nawaz Sharif's supporters following Imran Khan's scathing attack on him this weekend.

"Nawaz Sharif is the only Pakistani Prime Minister who has fulfilled every promise made to the nation of Pakistan," a Nawaz Sharif admirer wrote on Twitter.

"We want a Pakistan that's back on the track of progress and prosperity. I support Nawaz because it has been proved time and again that under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan has every capability to get it done," another added.

"He rescued the nation during its darkest moments, eradicated terrorism, made it possible for the country to be the seventh Nuclear Power, brought CPEC to the nation, and raised the country's educational standards," a third claimed.

The outpouring of support for Nawaz Sharif came after Imran Khan hit out at both PM Shehbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif over the appointment of the country's new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

"This man [Nawaz Sharif] was reported to have killed hundreds of people in police encounters. They are going to decide on the next army chief. No one in a developed country can imagine something like this," Khan said in a video posted on his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's website.

The PTI chief's criticism of the Sharif brothers comes at a time when Shehbaz is visiting Nawaz in London.

Nawaz Sharif has been living in exile in Britain since 2019 after a Pakistan court allowed him to fly to the United Kingdom for medical reasons following the then-Imran Khan-led government's intervention.

In 2018, the Pakistan Supreme Court sentenced Sharif to 10 years in jail, disqualified him from holding public office again, and banned him from leading his party - the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) after indicting him on corruption charges.

Meanwhile, current Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure concludes on November 29.

As per many Pakistani outlets, Shehbaz is reportedly in London to finalize the name of the country's next army chief after having broad discussions with Nawaz.