Addressing a joint sitting of parliament here, he said Imran’s civil disobedience call rebounded on him as people paid no heed to his call. He also suggested action against Imran and Dr. Tahirul Qadri under Article-6 of the constitution.
“Violent sit-ins do not take place in any civilized country of the world. These are the assault, violence and attack on the constitution and not the sit-in”. He said Imran should return to the parliament and it would not be termed his defeat.
Article-6 of the constitution pertains to high treason that states, ” Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance, the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.”
Rafique said issue of four constituencies was not the actual case. The main reason is his (Imran’s) egotism.
He said the parliament cared for democracy and not the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
He asked whom Imran was calling umpires. No one would come. All institutions are working under the constitution and law, said the visibly infuriated minister
“Under what constitutional provision Imran invited the cops and law enforcers into his sit-in. Those calling for revolution are not even little conversant with the constitution.”
The minister said, “Imran doesn’t know how are the proceedings of parliament are conducted. He questioned the governance level of PTI in Khyber Pakhtonkhwa. KP has become the epicenter of polio, he criticised.
He said, “When DI Khan jail was attacked by terrorists the KP CM [of the PTI] did not resign.”
Rafique said the parliament should decide how long the dialogue with protesters to continue.
