PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique on Sunday explained that his remarks yesterday warning the opposition not to derail democracy were his own personal political views and had nothing to do with the PML-N's party policy.
The minister for railways in a speech on Saturday cautioned Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan that he wouldn’t benefit either if the democratic set-up was packed up.
Read more: ‘Cornered’ PML-N warns rivals not to derail democracy
Rafique's assertion had triggered all kinds of conspiracy theories in the midst of the political upheaval caused by the Panama Papers case.
Of the firebrand material PML-N has at its disposal, Khawaja Saad Rafique has a reputation for being the go-to man in moments of sheer desperation.
For instance, he was at his most candid when Imran Khan and his wards were about to enter Islamabad in the climax to last year’s long march on the capital.
His warnings to the ‘hidden hands’ now are openly being linked with a PML-N fear of the possibility of an adverse outcome in the Panama Papers case.
"Imran Khan must understand the sensitivity of the situation… he will be responsible for the consequences. Playing the disqualification game is like playing with fire," he had warned.
"Those who do not like our faces must rethink; can’t they wait another 11 months [for the 2018 election]? The snakes of the Islamabad sit-in are wounded, but not eliminated," he had said.
At a press conference today, Rafique recalled the signing of the Charter of Democracy by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in 2006.
The charter committed the two parties to struggle against dictatorship and, on coming to power, to do away with the ‘distortions’ made in the Constitution after the overthrow of the PML-N government.
"We achieved the aims of the Charter of Democracy after years of struggle," Rafique said.
"The Charter of Democracy said that [the two parties] would not level false allegations against each other," he added.
He said the charter stood for civilian supremacy and respect for the Constitution, demanding that the country's institutions operate in accordance with the laws. It also called for the protection of Pakistan's citizens and their fundamental rights, Rafique said. "But a lot of hate-mongering people did not like the charter."
"Today, Pakistan has progressed," Rafique claimed, recalling that in 2013 when the PML-N came to power, the prime minister had made certain promises to the country.
"I have to remind [the country] of the progress that has been made since then and the obstacles that had existed. It is my job, my responsibility to do so," Rafique said.
"If I, as a political worker, do not take this responsibility and you, as political supporters, do not fulfil this responsibility then we have not played our role," Rafique asserted.
"We cannot be stopped from speaking out, it is our job. If we do not speak who will?"
He claimed that the country today has a strong, free media and a free judiciary, and its institutions work in accordance with the Constitution. "This was not achieved in a day," he added.
"We will not let this progress be reversed. Making sure it does not is the responsibility of society," Rafique maintained.
He recalled that in 2013, terrorism had been rampant in the country and had claimed hundreds of lives in Karachi and Balochistan.
He recalled that global financial institutions had predicated Pakistan was going to default, whereas today, he said, it is predicated that Pakistan has the ability to become the world's 16th largest economy in the next 10 years.
