Attack on Jinnah House and sensitive installations, assault on Pakistan: Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique

By Daily Independent Last updated May 28, 2023

LAHORE, May 28 (APP):Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique has termed the attack on Jinnah House (Corps Commander House) and other sensitive installations as attack on the country which was unable to be spared.
Talking to media after visiting the Jinnah House here on Sunday, he said that it was a great tragedy that a special place, having an historical background and attached to the leader of the nation Quaid-e-Azam (RA) was attacked, looted and burnt.
The minister said that several things of Quaid were preserved here including his sleeping room, piano, Achkan, pen, writing pad and cap, adding that everything was burnt to ash by the miscreants led by the leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He added that the place was also the house of head of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the protection of the people and the country.
It was unfortunate that the family members of the soldiers were insulted by the miscreants and attackers, he said and added that there could be differences but, other parties, having any difference, never ever thought of even insulting or attacking on the houses or sensitive installations. Unfortunately, hatred was injected in the innocent minds of the educated youth against the institutions of the country, he regretted.
Khawaja Saad said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also faced Martial Law, but never even think of to damage or insult of the soldiers of the nation. “No nation can weaken or discourage their own army” he added. He said an army which stopped the enemy on the borders, could stop few violent people, but they dealt it with patience to protect the lives. “You have burnt the plane of a hero of the nation M.M Alam and attacked on the offices of the prestigious agency,” the minister added.
He said this all was designed somewhere as the miscreants had been already guided, adding that these people were being operated from anywhere. He strongly condemned the incidents of May 9 and said that the government would ensued that no innocent could be punished and no culprit could be spared.
Khawaja Saad said that ‘you’ (Imran Khan) had committed a crime and terrorism by wearing the dress of a politician, adding that that the biggest crime of Imran Khan was that he had contaminated the brains of a generation by continuously telling lies about the political and military leadership. A true leader always teaches technology, transparency, economy, love and respect to his followers, but Imran taught hate, disrespect, violence and insult to his followers, he asserted.
The minister said that leaders and politicians went to prisons like Nawaz Sharif and his daughter had returned from United Kingdom for surrendering before the law and they were kept for several months in jail. He added that Imran Khan should apologize to the nation and the Pak Army for his crimes as what he and his followers did on May 09. He said that what our enemies, India or TTP could not do, Imran and PTI did to the country.
To a question about ban on the PTI, he said that he did not have any information about it.
To another question about dialogue with Imran Khan, he said that he (Saad) was supporter of the dialogue despite the several differences and attempted to made a dialogue with the team Imran had made and the both sides got agreed on several issues including elections of all assemblies on the same date, but when this team contacted Imran, he (Imran) refused to accept any of the points. Now after all that bullying, there was no space for dialogue, he said.
Replying to a query about any judicial commission for inquiry of May 9 incidents, the minister said that majority of the miscreants involved in the incidents had been identified, footages were available and several culprits had been arrested red-handed then what was the purpose of the inquiry commission. Now law was present and the culprits had right to appeal after getting punishment from the military courts so the law would take its course, he added. “ When we are saying that Imran Khan to come forward and sit for a national consensus , Imran did not listen to us,” he said.
To a question about the elections, he said that elections would held on time according to the Constitution, adding that the federal government would not go one day ahead of the given date of the election after completing its constitutional tenure .
Former provincial ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique ,Yaseen Sohal and Mian Naseer were also present.