If Political Parties Do Not Reform, Cockroaches Will Emerge Again: Khawaja Saad Rafique
Mian Nadeem
Published October 03, 2026 | 05:48 PM
Former federal minister and senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique urged political parties to fulfill their responsibilities instead of trading accusations and taunts, and expressed his support for smaller provinces.
Addressing a ceremony in Lahore, Rafique stated that political parties must end the practice of leveling accusations and taunting one another. He also called for an end to the production of sycophants.
According to Rafique, the public is growing increasingly disillusioned with the country, and political parties must respect the people's verdict and election results. He highlighted that he won by 40,000 votes, but Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did not accept his victory.
The former federal minister expressed his support for smaller provinces but emphasized that their problems would not be resolved solely by granting them rights; genuine intentions were also necessary. He criticized the past treatment of provincial people as "stepchildren."
Rafique stressed the need for an effective local government system, which he believed would bring forth new leaders. He argued that individuals lacking competence have been imposed upon the public.
Noting the limited political lifespan of existing parties, Rafique expressed his desire to speak the truth while he was alive and stated that he could only see a grave ahead. He called for the unification of diverse voices to awaken society. He added that there is no need to form new political parties at this time; instead, the "crippled and broken" existing parties should be revitalized.
He revealed that the establishment wants political parties to work sincerely and clarified that he was expressing these views in his personal capacity, not on behalf of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He also advocated for giving opportunities to the middle class to enter assemblies and stated that interference occurred in some elections, not in every one.
Rafique recalled sit-ins arranged during an elected government's tenure and circumstances that led to the downfall of another elected government under Nawaz Sharif. He emphasized the need for political parties to reform themselves, warning that "cockroaches" would emerge again if they fail to do so, though it remained unclear who would lead them.