‘No one can stop us from speaking truth’

• Federal minister calls Panama Papers a conspiracy to target one political party
• ‘CoD ensures constitutional supremacy, working relationship among institutions’
• ‘Pakistan needs decisions on justice, not ‘popular’ verdicts for temporary benefit’

Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, who is also a central leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, has said that the ruling party is being made target of hatred and revenge continuously.

Addressing an Eid get together, organised by the PML-N workers in NA-125 constituency here on Sunday, he said that the ruling party would not respond in inappropriate language that its opponents were using.

He said that it was the right of every political workers to express whatever he feels, but these words should not hurt their opponents. He said that hate and blame-games had been abandoned after signing of the Charter of Democracy (CoD) between Nawaz Sharif and the late Benazir Bhutto many years ago.

He said that the CoD ensures constitutional supremacy as well as working relationship among national institutions within the ambit of the constitution. “It is my responsibility to bring to light the reality and no one can stop us from speaking the truth,” he said. Saad said that the PML-N was one of those parties which struggled against dictatorship and for restoring democracy.

He said that in the local government elections, people once again reposed their trust in the PML-N. “What is the other method to adjudge the will or trust of the people,” he questioned. Criticising the electronic media, he said that some channels did allocate most of the time of the talk shows to the parties which had less than 30 per cent seats in the parliament and the PML-N was not given proper time.

After failure of sit-ins and allegations of rigging, the opponents used Panama Papers issue against the PML-N, which was not even acknowledged by the Panama state itself, the minister said. He said that there were names of leaders of several countries in the Panama Papers, but nothing happened in those countries. Only one political party was being targeted in Pakistan, he said, adding that in fact, it was a conspiracy against Pakistan.

“India, Israel and the enemies in the garb of friends knew it well that it would be impossible for any country to take away their Raymonds (from here without the legal process) if Pakistan gets financially strong, Saad said while referring to Raymond Davis, an American agent. “No country will be able to dictate us if we do not beg for financial help from the world,” he said.

“There were specific journalistic characters who conduct talk shows after getting dictation and use inappropriate language against politicians,” he said and asked if this character assassination was journalism or politics. He said that Pakistan had not come into being through any guerrilla war, adding that it was the result of a democratic struggle, and it would eventually weaken without democracy.

He said that the PML-N was the party which was never appreciated for its good work and endeavours. He questioned intellectuals of the country including politicians and journalists as to who could compete with the PML-N as far as bringing prosperity and progress to the country was concerned. Saad said that martial law of General Pervez Musharraf was an international conspiracy as the US wanted to invade Afghanistan and a government with two-third majority was not allowed to complete its tenure.

He called for letting democracy to prevail, adding that people could not be united through executive orders and people’s trust in vote would shatter if political parties were damaged. “Then people will resort to violence and the political leadership will not be able to do anything,” he warned.

He said that reservations of the PML-N were not listened and no action was taken when it complained about the leaking of Hussain Nawaz’s picture. “No one listens to us when foul language is used against us,” he added. He said national institutions should be given respect and at the same time the parliament should also be held in esteem. “We had also struggled for democracy, then why should we not be given respect,” he questioned.

The minister said there should not be popular verdicts as these give temporary benefit, adding that decisions should be based on justice. He said that protection of democracy was a responsibility of all four pillars of the state and these should work within the ambit of the constitution. He questioned why Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari was using language being used by PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his partner Sheikh Rashid.

Saad said that Jamaat-e-Islami leader Sirajul Haq was also using the same words which were not conducive for national politics. He advised Imran Khan to be aware of his two leaders as they would leave him alone in troubles. “We do not want Imran Khan to quit politics,” he said. He said that PPP leaders Raza Rabbani, Khursheed Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Murad Shah and Naveed Qamar are good politicians but there were few others who do not follow ethics.

He said that upcoming 10 to 11 months were important and wished that tenure of the PML-N government was completed like the previous PPP government. He said that struggle for democracy was still underway, adding that the PML-N would not let democracy derail in the country.