PDM has played its cards too early, says minister

ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, mocking opposition parties over what he called hurling hollow threats of assembly resignation, Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz dared them to abandon the Senate or the National Assembly.

He said the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) had played its cards too early and it was now ruining the announcement, addressing a news conference here at the Press Information Department (PID).

The PDM’s declaration of resignation from the assemblies was a baseless and hollow attack,” the minister said, wondering, “Why would the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) resign from the Sindh Assembly… because they are in power and the only party in power there?

The minister said the opposition parties intended to establish a condition of law and order in the garb of public rallies. They could aim to see a serious crisis, including deaths due to clashes, only to destabilise the country, he added, adding that we will not give this opportunity to the opposition; they are the ones who killed people in the operation of Model Town.”

By slamming the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the minister launched the news conference and showed videos of PML-N Supreme Leader Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-chair Asif Ali Zardari when they both insulted each other. He said there was no ideological common ground or political motive between the two sides, but they were together together to defend their ill-gotten gains.

Insists opposition is hurling empty threats over quitting legislatures

They have no agenda for the nation’s welfare or development,” he said, adding: “They have plundered the country and made false promises to upgrade Pakistan to the Paris level, but the truth is that they have taken Pakistan to the Somalia level.

He remembered the mistreatment at the hands of the PML-N by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Who gave Mr Zardari the name of Mr 10 per cent’? They still rejoiced about Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s hanging. We have nothing to do with that, whatever their issues are. Have we framed the NAB legislation? You should have changed these laws on your own,’ he added.

He added that while the PML-N was in power, it loved using these forces just to pressurise the PPP.

The minister also replied to the opposition parties’ criticism of the government and said their approach was focused on hypocrisy. They still say who asks for the NRO, and then they repeat whether the prime minister is also willing to send the NRO.

We decided not to give NRO to any of them. It was possible when the laws of the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) were finalised, but we didn’t compromise… we could have adopted the old political tradition of taking everyone on board, but we deplore this approach as it has led the country to its present sorry state,’ he added.

Mr. Faraz said Leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) was bringing the opposition parties to a blind alley. During his protest sit-in in Islamabad in November last year when the leaders of these two parties came to his sit-in only to give speeches, he said, he took his revenge from both the PPP and PML-N because they had fooled him.

On Friday, the Minister announced the holding of a separate press conference on the JUI-F chief’s political behaviour. He said that for two years Maulana had been quiet because he was trying to make a bargain, but when he failed, in frustration, he went out on the roads. He will show his last resignation card.

In response to a query about government moves to stop the Lahore PDM rally, the minister claimed that all such rallies were unconstitutional and that their promoters would be dealt with in compliance with the law.

This is the government’s obligation to secure peoples’ lives, and at the same time the question arises: is it not the duty of the opposition to protect citizens from the transmission of coronavirus? He asked, adding that the opposition was determined to hurt the government, its people, and its economy.

Tags: PDM