LAHORE - Federal Minster for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid has accused Imran Khan of not believing in democracy and bidding for the dictatorship in the country which he has already brought in his party, the PTI.

“Imran Khan abhors democracy and cherishes the option of behind the door to reach the power which the dictator Pervez Musharraf had adopted. Imran had facilitated him through support in the referendum,” the minister told a press conference here yesterday.

Rashid posed queries to Imran Khan that why he did not hold protest rallies against Musharraf for his act of flinging Pakistan into the war of terror for billions dollars from America. “We will stand with Imran Khan if he will raise voice to hold Musharraf for his actions, the heavy price of which the nation is still paying through man and material loss,” he added.

The PML-N senator said over the last three years the government has spent billions of dollars to defeat the evil of terrorism. “Imran Khan is trying to bring in dictatorship in the country but he must bear in mind that doors to it have been closed forever through an independent judiciary, vibrant media and conscious people.”

He further advised Imran Khan to atone for his past sins and pledge not to practice them in future.

According to Rashid, elections will take place in 2018 when the PML-N will take its case to the people to let them vote any party. The federal minister, who was accompanied by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan and Punjab Government spokesman Zaeem Hussain Qadri, said that the government has to bear the expenses of additional Rs5 million on the lighting, CCTV cameras and others for the safety of the people at the PTI march which also caused business loss to the tune of Rs4b in a day.

In view of the Murdan and Peshawar incidents, the minister said, they wanted Imran Khan to hold the rally at an open place but he was adamant to take it on the road. He said at present three protest marches under the nomenclatures of ‘Ehtesab’, ‘Qisas’ and ‘Nijat’ were at work by three factions with the same target. “We don’t know which one was common for the three (against the government),” he added.

Pervaiz Rashid criticised Imran Khan for harping on the same tune in his speech over the last three years and advised him to tape his speech to repeat it at every rally as he has nothing new to say to the masses. He also accused the PTI chief of being non serious about holding accountability and said that two bills on the subject had been separately moved before the Senate and the National Assembly. “If Imran Khan has any sincerity with the purpose of accountability, he shall come to the House and help legislation on the same instead of showing up on the roads.”

“But Khan does not believe in Assembly,” the minister said, adding that the people in turn are discarding Imran Khan and out of frustration he was making their life uneasy by taking to the street.

He maintained Imran, who neither trust judiciary nor the EC, has nothing to give to the masses.

Defending the Sharifs against PTI tirade, the federal minister said: “Imran Khan in his complaints to the EC has nowhere accused the Sharifs of corruption and dishonesty but had raised the allegations of transferring money to Dubai in 1972 when they were not in politics and were hard pressed by the government at that time.”

He further said the Sharifs did nothing illegal by setting up their business in Dubai. “As such all allegations of Imran Khan are frivolous and without material,” he added.