Saad Rafique addressing media in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Senior PML-N leader and Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Saturday called Panama Papers a ?foreign sponsored conspiracy? targeting Pakistan.

Speaking to media in the federal capital, Rafique vowed that the damning report by the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT) will be challenged and said he has advised the party leadership to avail constitutional protection.

He, however, expressed ignorance on whether the Sharif family planned to submit the draft petition challenging the JIT report today or on Monday.

?Panama Papers is a foreign sponsored conspiracy targeting Pakistan. Many people in this world do not want to see a powerful Pakistan. Those who compare atomic power Pakistan to Iceland are foolish,? he remarked.

?We are ready to fight [this] legal and political war. This kind of war will benefit no one,? he lamented, adding that the government was focusing on progress but the opponents were dragging Pakistan backwards.

?Methods such as rigging allegations, dharna 1 and dharna 2 were used to waste time,? he said, expressing concern that such a situation, if carried forward to 2018, would create problems for voters.

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?It would have been better if political parties had instead focused on performance to get ahead,? he continued. 

Sources said Saturday that the Sharif family has finalised its draft petition to challenge the Panamagate JIT findings in the Supreme Court.

The sources, privy to the development, said the Sharifs have raised various objections over the JIT report for its findings. The draft also alleges biased attitude of the JIT members towards the Sharif family.