LAHORE: Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Monday said the excessive use of the courts and anti-graft bodies has been stoking up anarchy and uncertainty in the country. Taking to his official Twitter account, Khawaja Saad Rafique said some unscrupulous elements in political parties and the state institutions intended to weaken democracy in the country. “A smear campaign is on-going against the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the party led governments,” he Tweeted. He lamented that every pro-democratic figure in the country declared a threat to internal security after tagged as “traitor” and “thief” for the last 70 years. However, the railway minister said the people had always expressed confidence in them after casting their votes for them in the elections. “And this is going to happen again. Dear judges and accountability people! Let Pakistan progress,” the minister said. Rafique made these Tweets at a time when his ownership of the Paragon Housing Society is making rounds on both print and electronic media. On Sunday, the minister had served a defamation notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Fawad Chaudhry for his comments about him with regard to his alleged ownership of the housing society. The matter of Paragon Housing Society has been raised at a time when National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is investigating a mega corruption scam of the Ashiana Housing Scheme. Presently, the anti-corruption watchdog has arrested two accused in connection with their involvement in the scam. Lahore Development Authority (LDA) former director general Ahad Cheema is under physical remand of NAB. On Sunday, NAB produced Bismillah Engineering Services CEO Shahid Shafiq before a court under stringent security measures. A judicial magistrate granted one-day physical remand of Shahid Shafiq to the anti-corruption watchdog. According to NAB officials, Shafiq’s company was part of Lahore Casa Developers, a joint venture, which has been declared ineligible to receive contract. A segment of the provincial bureaucracy of Punjab has expressed its concerns over the arrest of Ahad Cheema. Published in Daily Times, February 27th 2018.