LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Khawaja Saad Rafique has accused former chief justice Saqib Nisar of allegedly favouring the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government with his ‘unfair’ decisions and delaying inauguration of the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project initiated by the PML-N government under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Addressing a ceremony arranged by the PML-N to celebrate the inauguration of the OLMT project at Jain Mandir Chowk on Sunday, Khawaja Saad claimed that former CJP Saqib Nisar had done everything during this tenure, but not justice.
Accusing Saqib Nisar of humiliating and abusing his powers while being as the CJP, the PML-N leader said the OLMT project could have been completed during the tenure of Shehbaz Sharif had Saqib Nisar not intervened in the matter and supported the PTI during its 2018 election campaign. “The national exchequer had suffered losses of billions of rupees after the CJP intervened and delayed the OLMT’s inauguration,” he added.
“The rope of accountability revolves only around the necks of PML-N leaders and its workers,” he regretted and questioned who will ask the PTI government for tricking the masses regarding construction of dams. Referring to the prime minister, the PML-N leader said: “We don’t say anything wrong when we say that you [Imran Khan] are selected. You were selected, you are selected and you will leave while being selected.”
He also mocked Prime Minister Imran Khan for vowing to bring back deposed premier Nawaz Sharif by touching his chin and said that kids use such gestures to threaten people. “Making fun of people does not suit on the chief executive of a country,” he observed.
Khawaja Saad added that though the PTI government is registering ‘false’ cases against opposition parties, but their struggle for ‘freedom’ would continue under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). “The path of PDM is our path and through which we will strive for provision of speedy justice and respect for vote,” he said and demanded that every person suppressed by the state must be provided immediate justice.
The PML-N senior leader said the offence of incarcerated Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza is that they served their people with ‘honesty and dedication’. “Their crime is they not only changed the lives of their people but also introduced several developmental projects which are benefiting the masses.”
He continued that the offence of Shehbaz and Hamza is that they never left PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and always stood by his narrative. The government wanted to put us behind bars because we always demanded rights of the people and implementation of laws, he said and regretted that the democratically-elected governments were repeatedly ‘pressurised’ in the 72 years history of the country.
Talking about the OLMT inauguration by the Punjab government earlier in the day, Khawaja said that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar should have installed a plaque crediting former Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif for introducing this project under the CPEC.
Former National Assembly Speaker and PML-N senior leader Ayyaz Sadiq said all the opposition parties are now on the same page under the aegis of the PDM and they will ask about the thieves of sugar, electricity, gas and those who are responsible for devaluation of the Pak rupee.
PML-N senior leader Pervaiz Malik also spoke on the occasion.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020