RAWALPINDI - Awami Muslim League President Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that he wants to see his political rival and PML-N candidate Muhammad Hanif Abbasi contest election against him as the court should not disqualify him in the ephedrine case on July 21. He, however, reiterated that he would crush his political rival in the general elections from Rawalpindi.

“I have not much knowledge about the law and also fear the contempt of court but the court should give permission to him (Abbasi) for contesting elections as just five or seven days left in the polling,” Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said this in an exclusive interview to The Nation on Wednesday. He said that the court may lay down its verdict after general elections 2018. However, he was seemingly satisfied with the dangling sword of the Ephedrine case on the head of his political opponent.

Sheikh Rashid said that the disqualification of Hanif Abbasi would create difference in the elections and of course it would benefit him as N League vote bank would be divided. “Earlier, the candidate of Muttahida Majilis-e-Amal (MMA) has withdrawn in my favour and ousting of Hanif Abbasi from the political arena will definitely give me an edge in NA-60,” said the AML President, who is contesting elections with the symbol of pen and inkpot from NA-60 and NA-62. Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who is being supported by PTI in the two constituencies of Rawalpindi, said the reunion of two political rivals of N League - Muhammad Hanif Abbasi and Senator Chaudhry Tanvir Ali Khan – did not affect his political position, adding public response to him was much satisfactory. When asked if he will accept the offer of Senator Tanvir Ali Khan who claimed to pay back the elections expenditures to Sheikh Rashid if his son Barrister Danial failed to defeat him with the big margin of 50,000 votes in the election, the AML President replied: “These are hollow claims of land mafia and the capitalists. I will not take money from Tanvir”.

He said the division among ranks of PTI over the distribution of party tickets among candidates has not affected his election campaign, adding he and his party men are supporting PTI for the provincial assembly seats. “My election campaign is going on successfully as I had inaugurated more than 130 elections offices in my two constituencies,” he added. He said the general elections would be held in free and fair manners. He said that all political parties are being given the level-playing field and those who are making claims of rigging know that they cannot win the election.

Interestingly, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was totally ignorant about as to who has given him new titles of “Pindi Boy” and “Murshid Pak” on the social media. “Well, I cannot use social media or twitter handler. I am the only politician who never even sends tweets. My staff handles my twitter account. I do not know who has given me these two new titles,” he claimed.

To a question as to why he restricted himself in Rawalpindi and why he has not expanded his party to other provinces, the veteran politician replied: “This step will dent political position of PTI Chief Imran Khan”.  He said that he has 5,000 to 1,000 fans in every constituency of the country and all of his fans support and cast their votes to Imran Khan and his candidates. About recent decisions of courts, he said: “Courts in Pakistan are freely dispensing justice and punishing the culprits as per the law of the land. Mian Nawaz Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law were declared guilty by the court due to their crime”. Sheikh Rashid said that he is seeing no role of Musharraf in the upcoming set-up and advised him to take rest abroad.

He said that Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who is contesting general elections as an independent candidate with the election symbol of jeep, is not alone as 60 more candidates have also been fielded in the arena with the election symbols of jeep. “Moreover, there are many other independent candidates contesting election with the symbols of pitcher and tub and they will win. The winning candidates may ride the jeep,” he predicted. He mentioned that Imran Khan did not want to make an alliance with Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

However, the AML chief said that he would give an advice to Imran Khan to form an alliance with Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the future if PTI faces shortage of seats to form government in the centre,” he said.

When asked whether he would visit Adiala Jail to meet Mian Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Sheikh Rashid replied: “Both are languishing in jail because of their black deeds and not for democracy, Islam and rights of the poor people of Pakistan. They are criminals and I will not visit the jail to see them”.

He said that he would materialise all the promises he made with the public during electioneering after being elected in the general elections 2018. He said that he would resolve the water shortage issue in Rawalpindi. “I will pull out Pakistan from the financial crisis if Imran Khan is elected as prime minister of Pakistan,” Sheikh Rashid Ahmed claimed.