Railways Minister Saad Rafique says PML-N leader, activists directed to stay off roads today as PTI brings its Plan C to Lahore
Federal Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has said that all Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers have been directed to “stay indoors” as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s protestors hit the roads in Lahore today.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Rafique rejected allegations of rigging in NA-125, from where he defeated PTI’s Hamid Khan in General Elections 2013.
PTI’s candidate Hamid got 50 Presiding Officers (PROs) changed in NA-125 a few days before the elections, said Rafique. Moreover, he claimed that PTI had won from all five polling stations where vote audit has shown that additional votes were cast.
“Media has deliberately concealed the fact that PTI is the beneficiary of the rigging at those five polling stations,” alleged the PML-N leader.
“What is our fault if the poor have 10 votes for every two votes of the elite,” said Rafique, claiming that he had bagged more votes from the lower middle class.
Rafique said he and his lawyer Ushtar Ausaaf Ali have decided to use the fingerprints of the people who have cast multiple votes to catch them, adding that he is waiting for the decision of the election tribunal regarding rigging in NA-125.
On the occasion, Rafique’s lawyer said that the report presented by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) is a four-page report and it does not mention any “fake” votes.
KHAN BASHING:
Rafique minced no words while lashing out at PTI Chairman Imran Khan whom he called the “Bal Thackeray” of Pakistan.
“There is no bigger liar than Khan in Pakistani politics. The time has come to respond to Khan in his own tone,” said the PML-N leader.
Rafique was of the view that Khan’s voters were also affected due to his “politics of agitation”.
“Khan’s favour of judges changes with the seasons,” said Rafique, adding that the PTI chief and his companions “are nothing but forgers”.
“The problem with Khan is that the government, led by PML-N, is working for the betterment of Pakistan and is finally moving towards resolution of the energy crisis. Khan’s problem is that petroleum prices and energy prices in the country are coming down,” said Rafique.
Khan tactics forced Chinese President Xi Jinping to postpone and Qatar’s emir to cancelled his visit to Pakistan, alleged Rafique, adding that both the foreign leaders were bringing investment to Pakistan worth billions of dollars.
Calling Khan a “traitor”, Rafique said the PTI chief must hold his tongue so that a favourable environment can be established for government-PTI talks.