'Forced dismissals' of elected prime ministers must stop: Saad Rafique

The PML-N leader says Nawaz Sharif has served as a ruler for ample time, will now focus on 'other activities'

Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has said that the practice of ousting elected prime ministers after "levelling allegations" on them should come to a halt.

The development comes a day after former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to expose "conspiracy" against his ouster, saying he did not want to weaken the institutions.

"Nawaz was elected three times by the people, but was dismissed every time in unconventional ways," Rafique told reporters in Gujranwala on Monday. "Conspiracies were hatched during Nawaz's third rule from the beginning."

In an apparent reference to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's 2014 sit-in, the PML-N leader said those who claimed to uphold democratic values had been attacking institutions, including Parliament.



"A drama was staged in the name of sit-in against alleged rigging in 2013 elections and now Panama Papers were used to hatch a fresh conspiracy." According to Rafique, every politician should be held accountable as per the Constitution's Articles 62 and 63.

"We will not allow it anymore to make a mockery of people's mandate and the power of their votes, the PML-N leader said, accusing PTI chief Imran Khan of playing the role of a puppet to oust an elected government.

Rafique said Nawaz has served as a ruler for ample time, and will now engage in 'other activities'. "Time will prove that Nawaz will continue to rule the hearts of the masses," he added.

In a landmark verdict last month, the apex court unanimously disqualified Nawaz from office due to his failure to disclose his ‘un-withdrawn receivables, constituting assets’ in his nomination papers filed ahead of the 2013 polls.