LAHORE: PML-N president and Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reconciled two senior leaders of his party -- former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq and former mayor of Lahore Khwaja Ahmad Hassan.

The two party stalwarts had reportedly developed differences after low turnout at the Lahore rally of the opposition alliance -- the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

Mr Rafiq had previously complained to Shehbaz of “lack of” Mr Hassan’s contribution to the PDM’s rally at Minar-i-Pakistan in terms of bringing workers to the power show.

The reconciliation took place inside an accountability court, where Mr Shehbaz was produced by the jail authorities to attend hearing of Punjab Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme reference filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Both Rafiq and Hassan were also presented in the court.

On the occasion, the party’s president asked both leaders to have a warm handshake and advised them to forget their differences.

Meanwhile, former speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also met Shehbaz in the court and discussed with him the upcoming Senate election.

Outside the court, Mr Hassan, however, told reporters that he and Rafiq had already reconciled.

The court recorded statements of two more prosecution witnesses in the reference and summoned more witnesses on the next hearing.

PARAGON CITY: An accountability court on Thursday summoned three prosecution witnesses in the Paragon City reference against former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq and his brother Khwaja Salman Rafiq.

The Khwaja brothers appeared before the court along with their lawyers.

The court adjourned further hearing till Feb 25.

Talking to the media, Rafiq said the opposition had many options against the government, however, the PDM leadership would decide how and when it should show its cards.

He said the politicians accusing each other of being a ‘traitor’ or a ‘plunderer’ never served the politics, and rather damaged the democratic system in the eyes of the public.

Rafiq said he had to spend 16 months in jail only for making efforts to bring improvement in the railways.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2021