ISLAMABAD: Following PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s acknowledgment of the much hyped about ‘London meeting’, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique on Saturday flayed Imran Khan for not admitting it earlier, DawnNews reported.
Speaking at a press conference, he raised serious questions about the agenda of the meeting, saying that the nation deserved to be informed about the scheme that led to prevailing anti-government protests.
Earlier, Qureshi, in an interview to a private TV channel had said that Khan and Qadri did not reach any agreement in the London meeting, however, they did exchange views on political situation in the country.
Claiming that PTI spokesperson Shireen Mazari had no knowledge of the meeting, he said it was the leader’s prerogative to choose when to make any information public.
“To have meetings with one another is a routine business in politics … it’s not something to be shocked about,” he stated.
Railways Minister Rafique, in today’s press conference claimed that a written agreement between PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, PTI Chairman Imran and Chaudrys of PML-Q took place in London.
Citing Charter of Democracy (CoD), an agreement signed between PM Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, being an open document, he questioned why details of the alleged agreement had not been made public.
Asserting that the ‘conspiracy’ behind Islamabad sit-ins has failed, the Railways minister claimed that Imran Khan wanted to get arrested as a facing saving tactic. He also claimed that Dr Qadri and Khan had been shown false dreams of becoming head of national government and prime minister respectively.
He said that the PTI chairman launched the protest movement without waiting for verdicts of the election tribunals.
Saad Rafique said despite political differences with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), his party accepted their mandate in Sindh and kept their governorship intact.
“PML-N was in a position of forming the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but decided against it in respect of PTI’s mandate,” he added.
The minister in the end urged both the protesting leaders to end their sit-ins and let the country prosper.
PML-Q’s Information Secretary Senator Kamil Ali Agha has denied having knowledge of any meeting between Dr Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan in London.
“Our meetings with Dr Qadri in London were held according to already finalised schedule during which no mention of PTI chairman Imran Khan was ever made. There was also no scheduled meeting of Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Pervaiz Elahi with Imran Khan in London,” he said on Thursday.
Agha said it was not in the knowledge of Chaudhry brothers that Dr Qadri and Mr Khan had met in London as well.
“Dr Qadri had come to Dorchester Restaurant for a dinner on the invitation of Chaudhry brothers. Neither Imran Khan was there nor was he invited,” he said.
