ISLAMABAD: Claiming the latest Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, was promulgated with a mala fide intent, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MP Khawaja Saad Rafique said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government must end the practice of issuing ordinances.
Speaking to the media after appearing in an accountability court in connection with the hearing of the Paragon housing scam, he said the purpose of the ordinance was to increase pressure on media and stifle the opposition.
“One day all these ordinances will be withdrawn, and those issuing them will come crashing down,” he added.
When a reporter asked him about the meeting between PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and estranged PTI leader Jahangir Tareen, Saad said he would not comment on that.
He pointed out that ordinances were promulgated only when the parliament was not in session. “I have been extremely disappointed by President Arif Alvi, who has only served Prime Minister Imran Khan and brought a bad name to the President House,” he regretted.
“The entire nation is screaming and praying to The Almighty Allah to rid them of this government. But the prime minister and his team have no shame.”
The MP insisted when he was the minister for railways, he had considerably brought down the deficit and had streamlined the affairs. “We were going in the right direction. But when Sheikh Rasheed took over, he, in a bid to erase our achievements, decimated the department instead,” he alleged.
Saad said even today there were honest officers in the Pakistan Railways, and it was the government’s job to get work from them. “But sadly, this government is not focused on its job,” he said.
He was of the view that Imran Khan’s speech at Mandi Bahauddin did not suit the man who was the prime minister. “Long march as well votes of no-trust both are required to send this government home,” he opined.
