Depriving PML-N hopefuls of Senate tickets unjust, against law: Saad Rafique

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Thursday said depriving Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) hopefuls of their party tickets in the Senate elections would be unjust and against the law.

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court's verdict disqualifying deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif as the party chief, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said the party's nominees can contest the upcoming Senate polls as independent candidates.  

In his tweet, Rafique said Senator Raja Zafarul Haq is PML-N's elected chairman and that he has the right to issue party tickets. If there's even one less vote, he continued, the onus will fall on those making the unjust decisions.

The railway minister claimed that the rights of his party and its candidates were being violated.

The candidates of PML-N are being forced to run as independents, he stated.

Rafique then went on to slam Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the leadership in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). "The failed ruler of KPK is hungry for power," he commented.

He said, "Why doesn't Imran Khan come out in the open instead of hiding inside his home?

"The biggest responsibility behind the current instability in KP is that of PTI."