Nawaz Sharif can’t be compared with Altaf: Rafique

Says PML-N’s supremo has served thrice as prime minister of Pakistan

LAHORE:

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said the party’s supremo Nawaz Sharif, who has served thrice as prime minister of the country, could not be compared with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain.

In a televised interview to a private news channel on Thursday, Prime Minister Imran Khan slammed Nawaz’s speech delivered last month and compared his remarks with Hussain’s fierce speeches against institutions.

However, talking to media on Friday, Rafique termed it an unjust comparison, saying remarks about a political leader should be passed after conscious deliberation.

The PML-N leader accused the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led federal government of making hue and cry of corruption, abusing political opponents through sending them behind bars and not concentrating on genuine issues of people.

He also denounced the premier’s remarks of sending law violators behind bars as, according to him, a system didn’t improvise through the said measures.

Meanwhile, an accountability court adjourned hearing of Paragon City case against former railways minister Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique till October 14 and summoned witnesses to record statements.

Accountability Court Judge Syed Jawadul Hassan conducted the proceedings, wherein Khawaja brothers appeared before the court.

During the proceedings, the court recorded statement of witness Abdul Ghafoor Patwari while the judge summoned other prosecution witnesses on the next hearing. Around 130 witnesses will testify against the Khawaja brothers.

The accountability bureau had alleged that the Khawaja brothers through their "benamidars" and with the abetment of former MPA Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia established a housing project in the name of Air Avenue. The project was later converted into a new housing project namely Paragon City which National Accountability Bureau (NAB) said was an illegal society and not approved by the Lahore Development Authority.

The NAB accused the former railways minister and his brother of receiving monetary benefits of Rs58 million and Rs39 million respectively from the society through proxy firms under the garb of consultancy services.

WITH INPUT FROM APP