LAHORE: PTI chief Imran Khan is contesting the election against PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique. According to Rafique, it would have been harder to beat PTI’s Hamid Khan.
“I would have had to work harder if Hamid Khan was contesting the election against me,” the former minister told Nadeem Malik. “At least he is an honest man. It would have been difficult to criticise him. Imran Khan sahib has such black holes that I never have to say anything. There is no need to say anything.”
Rafique said he had asked Imran to contest the election in Lahore. “I never challenge anyone,” he said. “I invited him. Challenge has an element of arrogance, which is not in me. I just invited him and he accepted the invitation. Now, it will be a fun match.”
According to Rafique, he never criticised the PTI chief as a person. “Neither will I ever do that,” he said. "He verbally abuses us, which is something we cannot do. We will criticise his politics. We are serious politicians who have been in politics for the past four decades. We discuss issues.”
Malik asked him about PTI’s chances of winning from Lahore. “The PTI has had its support,” said Rafique. “They found people and they were also given people. But I don’t see any chance of them forming the government in Punjab.”
He spoke about the popularity of his party at grassroots level. “I have been walking the streets of Punjab for the past 14 days,” he said. “After all the propaganda and character assassination, I thought people would question us. But people are aware of everything.”
According to Rafique, grassroot workers have more political acumen than “so-called educated people”. “The so-called educated people, who speak English with a twisted mouth, do not have the political acumen of a Matric-pass or FA-pass political worker in the streets,” he said. “I am only in touch with the workers in the streets. I am one myself. We are in a majority.”
He said that this is a competition between the power of wealth and the power of the street. “The streets can’t be beaten.”
On the other hand, the PTI chief is positive about his victory. He said he is competing with the “prize bond”.
“Insha Allah [God willing], it will be good,” he said. “Even the surveys show how the PTI has leapt ahead of the PML-N in Punjab. Insha Allah, we’ll win Lahore. Punjab’s breeze of change rises from Lahore. We showed PTI’s power on April 29 at Minar-e-Pakistan. In the three weeks leading to the campaign, I will focus on Lahore.”
Will the PTI chief spend July 18, July 19 and July 20 in Lahore? “Yes. I will also visit before these dates. My house is ready in Zaman Park. I will spend more time here and will win in Lahore.” APP/AFP