Imran Khan apparently democratic leader but playing with Constitution: Rafique

• Rafique says "Imran mafia, his political clowns have destroyed country".
• Says Khan "pushed Pakistan into whirlpool, yet he acts like saviour".
• "PTI govt inflicted considerable damage to country by not signing agreements to purchase cheap oil", says Ayaz Sadiq.

LAHORE: Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Sunday criticised PTI Chairman Imran Khan and said that while he was "apparently" a democratic leader, he has been "playing with the Constitution and laws" of the country. 

Speaking during a press conference alongside Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the railways minister said that the previous government, led by the PTI, had "destroyed" the railways system of the country. 

"The Imran mafia and his political clowns have damaged the country," he maintained, adding that while PTI leaders accuse members of other political parties to be thieves, they "themselves are the biggest thieves" the country had ever witnessed. 

"They live in 300-canal houses but pay negligible income taxes," Rafique said. He further berated Khan and said that while he criticises the children of other politicians for living abroad, his own sons are living in London.

"Do your own sons live in Kala Shah Kaku?" he said, adding that PTI leaders are "worse than dictators" because they "hurl abuses at anyone who disagrees with them."

He further said that the incumbent government was compelled to go to other countries to ask for monetary help because of Khan's incompetence.

"In turn, those who have to fix Khan's mess have been labelled traitors," Rafique said.

The railways minister added that while Khan kept crying foul about a "foreign conspiracy" that led to his ouster, everything to remove his government was carried out in a constitutional way.

"It was, indeed, our demand to hold elections in the country," he said, adding that it was the PML-N government that had introduced the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), but when the PTI came into power, it "froze all the projects."

"Khan has pushed the country into a whirlpool, yet he acts like a saviour," Rafique alleged.

He then criticised Khan for demanding state institutions intervene in political matters. 

"You openly say that institutions should bring a change in the country," he said. "Whose agenda are you working on?" 

Reference against Toshakhana controversy submitted to NA speaker: Sadiq 

Taking over the presser, Sadiq said that when Khan was in power, he "sat down with former US president Donald Trump and signed a deal regarding Kashmir."

He further said that the previous government had inflicted "considerable damage to the country's economy by not signing agreements to purchase oil at cheaper rates."

"We will block the way of those who want to spread chaos in the country," he said, adding that during Khan's tenure, the country's foreign relations were damaged because "all the countries had reservations about the then government."

Speaking about the Toshakhana controversy, Sadiq said that a reference has been filed in this regard and submitted to the speaker of the National Assembly.

"The speaker will announce a decision within 30 days, after which the reference will be forwarded to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)," he maintained.  

The minister further said that since Khan had "uttered words against the country," the coalition government would approach the Supreme Court of Pakistan.