LAHORE: The last month’s Lahore rally of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is still causing ripples in the Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz (PML-N), as a party stalwart on Monday blamed his senior colleague for ‘not doing enough’ to make it a “successful” show.

The PML-N leaders from Lahore – former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafique and former Lahore mayor Khwaja Ahmed Hassan – had a tiff in the presence of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif when he appeared in an accountability court in the money laundering and income beyond means case here on Monday.

Mr Rafique was found complaining to Shehbaz Sharif of “a lack of” Mr Hassan’s contribution to the party’s politics, especially the PDM’s Minar-i-Pakistan’ public meeting. As Rafique was putting up a charge sheet against the senior party member in the courtroom, Mr Hassan jostled his way through the workers and security surrounding him (Shehbaz) and tried to explain his position.

“Shut-up,” Mr Hassan said angrily to Mr Rafique, when the latter continued complaining. His remarks were also caught by microphones of the TV channels’ cameras present there for coverage of the court proceedings.

Making his point, Hassan reminded Shehbaz that he had 30-year-old unflinching association with the party, which “this man (Rafiq) is trying to bring into disrepute.”

“Saad Rafique is telling a lie about me,” he was heard saying.

At this, Shehbaz tried to cool Mr Hassan down.

After the hearing, both the leaders left the venue along with their respective supporters.

The PML-N, especially its de-facto president Maryam Nawaz, had declared the PDM’s Dec 13 Minar-i-Pakistan rally a “historic” one, while the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders termed it a “flop show”.

A source privy to the infighting between the two leaders told Dawn they had not been enjoying good relations for quite some time. Mr Rafique, after the Lahore rally, had complained about failure of Mr Hassan to bring a large number of people to different party meetings, he said. He had also brought this matter to the knowledge of Maryam Nawaz, which annoyed Mr Hassan, the source added.

Mr Hassan, who had reportedly contracted Covid-19 days before the PDM power show in Lahore, had already explained his position to the party leadership.

As Dawn approached Mr Rafique for his side of story, he was not willing to talk on the matter.

Khwaja Hassan, however, downplayed the incident saying: “Saad Rafique is my younger brother and even parents and children some time exchange words. We both will continue working together to strengthen the party.”

Published in Dawn, Jannuary 5th, 2021