Daily Times

Federal Railways and Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said on Tuesday that elections should be held simultaneously in the country, otherwise, a chaotic situation would emerge.

Talking to the media after attending a court case in Lahore, he said that a new crisis would surface, if the elections were held separately and the country could not afford it, adding that it was also not possible that elections should be held in the country throughout the year, leaving aside other work.

He said that elections were delayed in the past on different occasions due to specific circumstances.

He said that economic meltdown was too big and the whole country was in its grip.

“In this situation, if the elections of two assemblies and remaining assemblies were held separately then it would cause further division,” he added.

To a question, he said that no one was escaping from the elections, adding that PML-N contested the 2018 elections in difficult situation. “No PDM party was escaping from the elections as they had taken part in many elections,” he added.

The minister said that if the demand of elections were accepted then Imran Khan would further demand the change of the Election Commission, which had constitutional protection.

“It is the nature of Imran Khan that if you accept one demand then he would raise another,” he added.

He further said the constitution empowered the leader of the house to dissolve assembly, adding that it was not a blind power. He questioned the dissolution of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies and said that the assemblies were dissolved on the orders of a person who did not have any constitutional position.

He said that Imran Khan announced the dissolution of the assemblies and forced chief ministers to dissolve the assemblies. Whether the step was constitutional, or it was morally correct to dissolve assemblies without any reason, he questioned.

He said that all political parties and the nation should be united in the war against terrorism. He said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) must attend the all parties Conference, adding that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ayaz Sadiq had spoken with senior PTI leaders in this regard and now the party (PTI) should show seriousness in this matter. “No politics should be done on national issues, we should be united at one policy against terrorism,” he added.

Earlier, Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique appeared before an accountability court in connection with hearing of Paragon City reference. The court adjourned further hearing till February 22 after the National Accountability Bureau sought time for filing supplementary report about co-accused.