ISLAMABAD: Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique on Thursday said the passing of delimitation bill from Senate had removed the speculations about a delay in the general elections in the country.
The credit of the delimitation bill through a constitutional amendment went to all the political parties, which had ensured conducting elections on time, he said while talking to a private news channel.
The minister said the leadership of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had played a pivotal role in this regard.
Rejecting the notion of early general elections in the country, he said the present government would complete its constitutional tenure, adding the next general election would be held in 2018.
Expressing reservations over the decision of politicians’ disqualification—including that of former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yusuf Raza Gilani, and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen—he said the PML-N had implemented the orders of the court.
Saad said anybody could have differences with the decision of the court, but such decisions had to be implemented for supremacy of law.
He urged Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri to present his Model Town case in the court of law instead of staging a protest on roads. “Justice could be achieved by pleading cases in the courts, not by doing politics on roads,” he said.
He claimed that the PAT chief could not obtain votes if he contested the elections.
Qadri was demanding resignations of the PML-N leaders, but his wishes could not be fulfilled, he added.
Replying to a question, he said the briefing of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa in the Senate was a positive and appreciable step, which would strengthen the democracy and uphold the integrity of the national institutions.
He said the COAS was a democratic person and also believed in the democratic system.
The minister said the briefing to the Senate would enhance the respect of the parliament.
Commenting on the politics of PTI chief Imran Khan, he said several PTI leaders were also disappointed with his politics.
