LAHORE: Federal Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique on Saturday said that the constitution has defined the role of all state institutions, including executive, judiciary and legislative and added that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) doesn’t want confrontation with any state institution.
آئین میں وزیراعظم کابینہ پارلیمنٹ عدلیہ اور افواج کے کردار اور دائرۂِ کارتعین ھو چکاھے- آئینی حدود میں رھنا ھی ملک کے بہترین مفاد میں ھے
— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) October 14, 2017
Urging all state institutions to stay within their constitutional limits, he said that a malicious campaign against PML-N has been underway for the last four years.
کسی سے ٹکراؤ نہیں چاھتے- سب اپنے اپنے آئینی دائرے میں کام کریں تو کوٸ سازش کامیاب نہیں ھو گی-
— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) October 14, 2017
In a series of tweets, Rafique lambasted at Sheikh Rasheed and Imran Khan for apparently spearheading the campaign against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
عمران اورشیخ رشید جیسے لوگ پکستان اور جمہوریت دشمنوں کی کٹھ پتلیاں ھیں-ھم پر مسلسل کیچڑ اچھالنے کا مقصد جمہوریت گرا کر ملک کمزور کرنا ھے
— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) October 14, 2017
“They are political pawns who are being used by ‘anti-democratic elements’, intending to derail the democracy and weaken the state institutions,” Rafique tweeted.
PTI حصول اقتدار کی خواھش میں اندھی ھو کرجمہوری نظام کے خلاف ھی نبرد آزما ھے- ppp ھماری مخالفت میں جمہوریت کی سوکن بن رھی ھے
— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) October 14, 2017
The minister asserted that the ex-PM Sharif is being targeted for taking a firm stand against such anti-democratic elements. “The sole crime of Sharif is taking a stand against those elements intending to harm democracy rather becoming their stooge,” he added.
مسلم لیگ ن اور نوازشریف کا اصل جُرم پاکستان دشمنوں کی کٹھ پتلی بننے کی بجاۓ اُن کے سامنے ڈٹ جانا ھے
— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) October 14, 2017
Cautioning the opponents, Rafique said that the democracy must not be marred while making all-out efforts to degrade the ruling party.
His tweets have come after an incident when an accountability court on Friday abruptly adjourned graft proceedings against the Sharif family members after PML-N lawyers staged a protest inside the courtroom when they were denied an entry by police personnel.
The court was set to indict the Sharif family members in three graft references when it deferred the indictment after a scuffle broke out between members of legal fraternity and policemen.
In a subsequent tweet, Rafique said the incident should not be linked with the PML-N.
احتساب عدالت کے باھر ھونے والا جھگڑا مقامی پولیس اور وکلا کے درمیان ھوا-ملبہ مسلم لیگ پر نہ ڈالا جاۓ
— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) October 14, 2017
Earlier speaking at a ceremony in Lahore, Saad Rafique has said that the country’s future will not be decided behind closed doors but by 21 crore people of the country.
He said that the condition of the country is not as bad as being painted all over the world, adding that despite many shortcomings Pakistan still has a functioning, strong judiciary and its army is among the best in the world.
“Third world countries don’t even have media [freedom]; Pakistanis have the right to elect their representatives,” he said.
Commenting on the US defence secretary’s statement that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) crosses disputed territory, the minister said the United States needs to keep its statements on the project to itself.
He said that Pakistan will not listen to the “do more” rhetoric, adding that the government is cleaning up the mess created by the US in Pakistan.
