LAHORE: Former minister for railways Khwaja Saad Rafiq said on Tuesday the meeting of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) at Minar-i-Pakistan was an ‘unprecedented’ gathering.

“I have not seen such a big jalsa in my political career,” he insisted, responding to the journalists at the judicial complex where he arrived to attend the hearing of Paragon City reference before an accountability court.

Advising the journalists not to fall prey to the government’s propaganda, he maintained that the crowd at the PDM meeting was huge with an overwhelming participation of the Lahorites.

He also rejected the news, aired by some sections of the media, as if he showed his resentment over low turnout of the workers in the meeting from Lahore. He said these ‘engineered’ news stories were part of the government’s propaganda.

During the hearing of the reference, Presiding Judge Jawadul Hassan expressed displeasure over the NAB for not presenting a prosecution witness.

A prosecutor told the court that the witness namely Aqsa Jabeen was not available due to a marriage function in her immediate family.

The judge observed that it seemed the prosecution had no interest in presenting its witnesses.

The judge adjourned further hearing till Dec 18 and directed the prosecution to present three witnesses.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2020