Defiance to 'anti-democratic elements' sole crime of Sharif: Saad Rafique

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Railways Saad Rafique on Saturday said that a malicious campaign against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has been underway for last four years.

In a series of tweets, Rafique lambasted at Sheikh Rasheed and Imran Khan for apparently spearheading the campaign against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

عمران اورشیخ رشید جیسے لوگ پکستان اور جمہوریت دشمنوں کی کٹھ پتلیاں ھیں-ھم پر مسلسل کیچڑ اچھالنے کا مقصد جمہوریت گرا کر ملک کمزور کرنا ھے

— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) October 14, 2017

“They are political pawns [who are] being used by ‘anti-democratic elements’, intending to derail the democracy and weaken the state institutions,”Rafique said in his tweet.

The minister asserted that the ex-PM Sharif is being targeted for taking a firm stand against such anti-democratic elements. “The sole crime of Sharif is taking a stand against those elements intending to harm democracy rather becoming their stooge,”he added.

مسلم لیگ ن اور نوازشریف کا اصل جُرم پاکستان دشمنوں کی کٹھ پتلی بننے کی بجاۓ اُن کے سامنے ڈٹ جانا ھے

— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) October 14, 2017

Cautioning the opponents, Rafique said that the democracy must not be marred while making all-out efforts to degrade the ruling party.

His tweets have come after an incident when an accountability court on Friday abruptly adjourned graft proceedings against Sharif family members after PML-N lawyers staged a protest inside the courtroom when they were denied an entry by police personnel.

The court was set to indict Sharif family members in three graft references when it deferred the indictment after a scuffle broke out between members of legal fraternity and policemen.

In a subsequent tweet, Rafique said the incident should not be linked with the PML-N.

احتساب عدالت کے باھر ھونے والا جھگڑا مقامی پولیس اور وکلا کے درمیان ھوا-ملبہ مسلم لیگ پر نہ ڈالا جاۓ

— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) October 14, 2017