LAHORE: Federal Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique has said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), if voted to power, will introduce reforms in the judicial system to ensure quick and inexpensive delivery of justice to the masses.

Speaking at an organisational meeting of PML-N in his constituency on Sunday, he said it was the responsibility of parliament to provide swift justice to the common man. If PML-N got an opportunity, such a judicial system would be introduced through legislation in which favoritism would not have any place, he added.

The minister said that PML-N would also introduce a revolutionary economic framework for which it needed people’s support. In the new economic framework, he asserted, the tax net would be expanded without putting burden on the poor and deprived citizens of the country.

The government size, he said, would be reduced and expenditures of all institutions would be decreased.

Saad says current democratic system of billionaires cannot run the country progressively; announces Nawaz will return soon

Mr Rafique said PML-N would work for the common man instead of the rich and asserted that he was part of the current democratic system for changing the system. This democratic system of billionaires could not make the country progress, he said.

The minister said that election in the country had now become a commercial activity and political parties did not give tickets to political workers if they did not have resources to contest the polls.

He said political parties were not well-organised and it was the responsibility of all political parties and their leadership to introduce democratic culture in their parties and allow political workers to come forward.

“We will continue to raise our voice for the rights of workers in parties,” he said.

The minister said political workers should decide as to who would be their representative in the union council, provincial assemblies or the National Assembly. If political parties allowed their gross-roots level workers to participate in the decision-making process, the doctrine of necessity would die down ultimately, and no one would be able to impose martial law in the country, he stressed.

The minister said PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif was coming to the country soon to lead the nation.

He regretted that Mr Sharif was disqualified on the basis of an expired iqama of the UAE. He said that now the time had come to bury the continuity of Justice Munir’s doctrine of necessity.

He asked PML-N workers to realise their responsibilities and associate themselves with the issues of the common man.

The minister said PML-N always talked about people, instead of individuals, discussed issues of the national interest, and built schools, universities, hospitals, roads, underpasses and streets.

He said everyone knew that the PML-N leadership was facing the need-based decisions by courts to strengthen the Imran Khan project.

He saluted the people of his constituency for rejecting Mr Khan despite pressure, and elected him (Saad) to represent them in the assembly.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2023