It’s, in fact, Khatm-e-Hukumat campaign: Saad

LAHORE: Railways minister and central PML-N leader Khwaja Saad Rafique has said the current issue being stirred up in the country is, in fact, Khatm-e-Hukumat’ (toppling of the government) movement.

While addressing the inauguration ceremony of Captain Mubeen Shaheed underpass here Sunday, he warned those sitting behind the curtains not to play the ‘dirty game’, lest all realise soon that all politicians of the country had been fooled yet again.

“I am not sure how much more time will we be allowed to raise our voice,” said the PML-N leader.

“Do not get so consumed with political prejudice and political infighting that everyone including you are pushed beyond a point-of-no-return and the country is plunged into another extended era of darkness, where there is no way out for any politician,” he warned.

“The PML-N is not afraid of opposition, not even of its opponents playing dirty tactics. But, for the sake of the people, do not play with the fate of the country,” he said adding that the same message was for those also who were calling parliamentarians from anonymous numbers.

He said that a powerful military, a non-partisan incorruptible judiciary, strong and autonomous parliament and an independent media are all essentials of a successful country and all these institutions should work in harmony with each other. Differences and disagreements among them can occur, but that did not mean that they go to war with each other and start alleging heinous offences in every possible social domain, said Saad Rafique.

The country is passing through testing times; the brave military and law-enforcement officials are laying down their lives for the national security. We stand with our institutions, but we believe that religious extremism should be nipped in the bud and those issuing edicts of apostasy for Muslims should be stopped, he stressed. “If it is not done, it is a very slippery slope and will plunge the country into total anarchy,” he warned.

He said that Captain Mubeen Shaheed was a true son of soil, who laid his life to protect his fellow countrymen. He said he was thankful to the parents and family of Captain Mubeen Shaheed for inaugurating the underpass and the chief minister for issuing emergent orders for the completion of the underpass. The underpass was completed in 14 months with Rs 500 million.

Using the analogy of the underpass as a pathway of facilitation, he said that people and people’s leaders should create pathways to make lives of the people better, rather than blocking and shutting them down. No religion, including Islam, allows creation of problems for the people, he added.

The minister said the PML-N understands that it will have to pay the price for taking a stance on the sanctity of people’s vote and the supremacy of civilians in a functioning democracy, and it will not be for the first time that the party will pay the price. The PML-N has, in the past, stood against martial laws and did not chicken out.

The PML-N has become the symbol of democracy in the country and Nawaz Sharif has taught the lesson that finding backdoors to power corridors hampers the country’s progress on every front, he added.

About the PML-N term, he said from the very next day of the elections a smear campaign had been launched to tag PMLN as the party that came into power through rigged elections. However, he added, it was proven through a commission that it was wrong, and even then those levelling allegations never apologised to the 210 million Pakistanis whose life was paralysed for over four months by a party-crowd of a few thousands.

He said that the PTI leader, who vowed in front of his supporters that he would never lie to them, dished out one humongous lie after another without an ounce of regret. The dharna caused cancellation of the visit of the Chinese president, while the PTI chief lied to the nation by saying that he was never scheduled to come. This too was proven after the Chinese government clearly told that the president’s trip had to be postponed.

He said that those who campaign for votes in the name of judiciary washed and hung their dirty laundry on the building of the honourable Supreme Court. The so-called self-proclaimed champions of democracy held the very citadel of democracy, the parliament building lawn, illegally occupying while holding the proceedings partially hostage. They damaged the gate of the Prime Minister’s House while celebrating siege and occupation of Pakistan Television Network. All this made a mockery of the honour of the country for selfish aims of one individual.

“Who was backing you up on all these acts that defy the very spirit of every one of the four pillars of Pakistani democracy?” he asked. “What is wrong with the practices in this country; why is it not allowed to function like a normal democratic republic; why are extensions demanded; why is the ultimate decision of the so-called ‘umpire’ awaited by such individuals?, the nation wants to know,” said the PML-N leader.

“Can anyone, who calls for lockdown of cities of his own country, aim at paralysing life and business of the people, call himself a leader of that nation?” he questioned. When these calls for lockdowns were rejected by the majority of Pakistanis, and the miscreants were jailed, the so-called leader was busy doing push-ups instead of helping those he had incited against their own country’s interests, he said. He did this because he could not even brave DG Khan jail. “How you can muster up the courage of facing Adiala,” he added.