Kh Saad gets shut-up call from Kh Hassaan in court

LAHORE: Two stalwarts of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz tangled in a verbal brawl in the presence of party president Shahbaz Sharif in a NAB courtroom, here on Monday.

Sources said Khwaja Ahmed Hassaan, following an intra-party dispute pertaining to his alleged conspicuous absence from the party’s hyper activities under the umbrella of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), reached the court to meet Shahbaz Sharif.

Sources said there was a growing concern among top party tiers involved in the organisational matters for meeting the high-rev political activity during the last couple of months. Since the party needed an extra effort for a cold-start, it had to even call the reserves. With a huge task looming, the party needed every foot on the ground.

Sources said senior party leader and former mayor Khwaja Hassaan could not pool in his part of the workload, the party ranks had strong reservations for the former mayor, who had a high political utility as far as Lahore is concerned.

Sources said Khwaja Saad Rafique highlighted the absence of Khwaja Ahmed Hassaan in party meetings because he was concerned and his views also reached Hassaan in another way.

Sources said that in the courtroom, Khwaja Ahmed Hassaan was talking with Shahbaz Sharif and explaining him why he was not active in the recent party activities when Khwaja Saad Rafique intercepted him and asked him to stop talking on the issue as that was not the place to discuss such topics.

Sources said Khwaja Ahmed Hassaan continued his talk on which Khwaja Saad again intercepted him but he ignored him, and the third time when Khwaja Saad tried to stop him, Khwaja Ahmed Hassaan got angry and gave Khwaja Saad a shut-up call. After that, Shahbaz Sharif stood up from his seat and stopped both the party leaders to remain calm and quite.

Party sources claimed that sometime ago, in a party meeting, Kh Saad Rafique also taunted Khwaja Ahmed Hassaan for losing election in his constituency after which both were not on speaking terms.

Sources said that recently when Maryam Nawaz started her political campaign before the PDM jalsa of Dec 13, 2020 in the city, Khwaja Ahmed Hassaan was not seen anywhere. His absence from party’s political activities was also reported to Maryam Nawaz allegedly by Khwaja Saad Rafique.

Similarly, Khwaja Ahmed Hassaan was absent from the Jalsa of Dec 13, 2020 and sources said Khwaja Saad again reported the issue to Maryam Nawaz, who allegedly expressed displeasure over his absence.

Sources said somehow Khwaja Ahmed Hassaan came to know about all this and on Monday he reached the NAB court to meet Shahbaz Sharif and clear his position.

While talking to The News, Kh Ahmed Hassaan said he had been serving the PML-N for the past 30 years, and was loyal to the party as well as the leadership. He said what happened in the court was without any ill intention. He said for quite sometime, he had been busy in his family issues and he was also ill. That was why he had not been active in the party matters. He said he went to the court to clear his position before Shahbaz Sharif about the aspersions being raised about him.

Later, Khwaja Ahmed Hassaan, in a video message, released on the social media, said Khwaja Saad Rafique was like his younger brother. He said even a father and son could have bitter moments. “There is no misunderstanding or bitterness between us and we both will facilitate each other to strengthen our party,” he said adding that in future they would work together for the party as well as for the country.

The scribe also tried to contact Khwaja Saad Rafique, but his operator said he was busy and would call back if he wanted to. However, till filing of the report, Khwaja Saad Rafique did not call to give his point of view.