Saad Rafique lashes out at Imran Khan, calls him ‘Pakistan's Bal Thackeray’

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique lashed out at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, calling him “Pakistan's Bal Thackeray”.

Speaking in Geo News' program 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath', Saad Rafique said Imran Khan should be ashamed of using coarse words and added that the PTI chief was given space during the previous sit-in in Islamabad, in which he backtracked from all his promises.

Justifying the police crackdown by law enforcement personnel against PTI youth convention in Islamabad, in which scores of party activists were arrested, he said: “planning was underway at PTI convention to lockdown the capital city hence the state cannot allow anyone to take the law in their hands.”

Federal minister said the government does not have any trust on the PTI chief`s words, hence he should give guarantee to the courts that on November 2 there would be nothing more than a public gathering in Islamabad.

He said: “we will try to resolve this matter with the civil power, if Imran Khan goes for a public gathering in light of the orders of Islamabad High Court, we will facilitate him, but if he opts for the lockdown, the law will take its course.”  

Earlier during the day. speaking to newsmen outside his Bani Gala residence, Khan challenged the government to arrest him.

“I will be attending Sheikh Rashid’s rally tomorrow, arrest me if you can,” Khan said.

But, in a major blow to the opposition party earlier today, the Islamabad High Court ordered the PTI not to shut down the capital during the party's November 2 sit-in.

However, during a hearing today of petitions seeking to stop the PTI sit-in at IHC, the court issued orders that no containers would be allowed in the city and no roads would be blocked.

The court directed the district magistrate to allocate a venue for the sit-in and inform PTI about it. The court also ordered the district administration and CDA to arrange facilities for participants at the sit-in next week.

The IHC bench said that that Imran Khan’s statements show that the PTI chief wants to freeze the government machinery. The court added that from the looks of it Imran Khan’s November 2 sit-in is not intended to be a mere protest.