Hidden hands behind Model Town incident, Interior minister

Railways minister says PML-N doesn't support Supreme Court's decision to disqualify PTI leader Jahangir Tareen

LAHORE: Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah did not make Pakistan for it to be mentioned in the list of diseased, backward countries that are riddled with poverty and illiteracy said Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) member and Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

He was speaking at the 45th death anniversary of slain leader Khawaja Muhammad Rafique, who was the father of Federal Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Provincial Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique. The topic under discussion at the occasion was ‘challenges faced by democracy, the constitution and solutions’.

He said that Quaid’s vision was—in light of the golden principles of Islam— a modern Muslim state but despite the passage of 70 years, it was still a farfetched dream. He deemed democracy to be the only saviour of the country. He said that it was unfortunate that not a single prime minister in Pakistan has completed a term.

 



He said that the root of the problem is not the lack of education as suggested by multiple media analysts.  He said if education was the issue, how are countries like India able to maintain the democratic process, given as to how they are riddled with corruption, poverty and illiteracy.

Iqbal also shed light on the 2014 Model Town incident, exonerating his party from all blame. He said the incident, that claimed 14 lives, was orchestrated by hidden hands who wanted a long march against the ruling PML-N.

He also retieriated that the PML-N has helped rid the country of the menace of load shedding, while also curbing terrorism to a large extent, since they have come to power. He went on to call Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan the biggest problem faced by the country at the moment.



Federal Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique speaking at the occasion denied any policy of confrontation with the judiciary. He said that the judges of the country are highly competent but if the decisions taken by tgem are not up to the mark, it is their right to criticise the decision.

He said that they had no issues with the disqualification of Jahangir Khan Tareen and then prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, as they were both bad omens for democracy. Rafique also said that democracy was the only way forward for the country while adding that not respecting people’s choice already led to a division of the country in the 1970s.

Javed Hashmi, who has recently joined PML-N after abandoning PTI. He said that judiciary has minced our constitution and it gives shelter to all kinds of intruders in our political system. He said the judiciary which decides to take matters into its own hands when a capable ruler takes over, is one that we can live without. Hashmi also took a hit at the army and said they should not intervene in government matters, as “they will fail and I do not want to see them fail in any way.”

He said that people should be allowed to rule the country and power should be devolved down to the local levels. He said that additional provinces should be demarcated and that people should be empowered.