Daily Times

Criticizing PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, Railways Minister and PML-N senior leader Khawaja Saad Rafique Sunday said while he was “apparently” a democratic leader, he had been “playing with the Constitution and laws” of the country.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Saad said the former PTI government had played ducks and drakes with the country’s railways system.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq accompanied him.

“Imran mafia and his political clowns have damaged the country,” he said, adding that while PTI leaders accused members of other political parties of being thieves, they “themselves are the biggest thieves” the country had ever witnessed.

“They live in 300-canal houses but pay negligible income taxes,” Saad said. He said while Imran criticized the children of other politicians for living abroad, his own sons were living in London.

“Do your own sons live in Kala Shah Kaku?” he said, adding that PTI leaders were “worse than dictators” because they “hurl abuses at anyone who disagrees with them.”

He further said the coalition government was compelled to go to other countries to ask for monetary help because of Khan’s incompetence.

“In turn, those who have to fix Khan’s mess have been labeled traitors,” Saad said.

The minister said while Khan kept crying foul about a “foreign conspiracy” that led to his ouster, everything to remove his government was carried out in a constitutional way.

“It was, indeed, our demand to hold elections in the country,” he said, adding that it was the PML-N government that had introduced the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), but when the PTI came into power, it “froze all the projects.”

“Khan has pushed the country into a whirlpool, yet he acts like a saviour,” Saad alleged. He then criticised Khan for demanding state institutions intervene in political matters, says a news report.

“Y ou openly say that institutions should bring a change in the country,” he said. “Whose agenda are you working on?” Ayaz Sadiq said when Khan was in power, he “sat down with former US president Donald Trump and signed a deal regarding Kashmir.” He further said that the previous government had inflicted “considerable damage on the economy by not signing agreements to purchase oil at cheaper rates.” “We will block the way of those who want to spread chaos in the country,” he said, adding that during Khan’s tenure, the country’s foreign relations were damaged because “all the countries had reservations about the then government.”

Speaking about the Toshakhana controversy, Sadiq said a reference had been filed in this regard and submitted to the speaker of the National Assembly. He said that the Toshakhana reference against former prime minister Imran Khan has been sent to the National Assembly speaker. “The speaker will announce a decision within 30 days, after which the reference will be forwarded to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP),” he maintained.

The minister further said that since Khan had “uttered words against the country,” the coalition government would approach the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Saad said the nation was facing the consequences of wrong decisions of former prime minister Imran Khan and his incompetent and ineligible government. He said Imran Khan government destroyed almost every institution and department of the country. Citing the example of Pakistan Railways (PR), he said the PTI government increased deficit of the railways to Rs45 billion, which was only one department. He said that whatever Imran blamed on others, he himself did that, adding that he (Imran) was himself a habitual thief, looter and cheapskate.

“He always keeps an eye on others’ pocket,” he added. The minister said that late Dr Israr Ahmad and Shaheed Hakeem Saeed had long ago informed the nation that a project would be launched under Imran Khan to destabilize the country. “Now this stupid person is calling the establishment to intervene in the political affairs,” he said. He said that Imran was a dictator by nature who did not like to listen to any other voice, adding that he (Imran) was an imbalanced and a thankless person, who always damaged his friends. He said, “This stupid person even did not listen to those forces who had supported him in politics. He even does not know the names of his allies,” he said.