Saad Rafique displeased over Jahangir Tareen’s disqualification

KARACHI: Minister for Railway Khawaja Saad Rafique expressed displeasure over the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Jahangir Tareen.

Courts should not decide the fate of politicians, the public vote should do so, the railway minister said during his visit to Karachi on Friday. Whoever gets the vote should complete their tenure, he added.

The PML-N leader said they accept the supremacy of the law. However, he added, the country cannot move forward without democracy, the spirit of which is public opinion.

Democracy should be fostered for the sake of the country, he said, adding that conspiracies against the system should be put to an end.

The railway minister questioned why the authority of those who come to power after getting votes is not accepted. Every prime minister is criticised and ousted, he added.

Saad Rafique was referring to the disqualification of Tareen announced by the Supreme Court earlier in the day. 

The apex court disqualified the PTI leader under Article 62(1)(f) because of his blatant misstatement regarding the ownership of the Hyde House property and failure to declare it in his nomination papers. The court verdict stated that Tareen was infact "the actual, true, real and beneficial owner of the said property".

However, the apex court ruled in favour of PTI Chairperson Imran Khan.

The three-member bench had reserved the verdict in the disqualification petition against the two PTI leaders on November 14.