Multan by-polls were 'bought', claims Saad Rafique

Hashmi says he lost polls but won battle for democracy

MULTAN: Flanked by former PTI president Javed Hashmi, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique claimed at a press conference on Monday that the recently-held by-polls in the NA-149 Multan constituency were 'bought’.

“In Multan, notes won and votes lost,” he said.

On October 16, veteran politician Hashmi faced a historic by-election defeat as he conceded his traditional National Assembly seat (NA-149) to an independent candidate, Amir Dogar, supported by the PTI.

Since his fallout with PTI chairman Imran Khan, Hashmi has been backed by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, of which he was a senior leader before joining the PTI.

While addressing the media, Rafique sand praises of Hashmi, claiming he ‘idolised’ the veteran politician since the time he was a member of the PML-N said, “A hundred Imran Khans and a hundred Shah Mehmood Qureshi combined cannot make one Hashmi.”

“Democracy needs Hashmi,” the railways minister asserted.

"Imran thinks that Hashmi’s political career is over with his defeat in the by-polls but he is mistaken,” Rafique said, adding, “Imran lost the war of ethics and principles.”

Addressing the media as well, Hashmi, who conceded his defeat in the by-polls, said, “I lost the war of polls but won the battle for democracy.”