PM offered me to be information minister, says Sh Rashid

ISLAMABAD: The Minister for Railways on Saturday retracted his statement made earlier in the day that Prime Minister Imran Khan invited him to head the Information Ministry.

Sheikh Rashid said he is happy with the Ministry of Railways and could not even think of becoming information minister. "Fawad Chaudhry is the best information minister; I am his supporter and stand by him," Sheikh Rashid said. 

"I cannot even think of becoming the information minister," he added. He said his earlier comments regarding the information minister being on a picnic in London were said in jest. "I had a word with Fawad yesterday and I told him to return to country in view of the circumstances," the minister for railways said. "I told him on phone that he is greatly needed (here)," Sheikh Rashid said.

He described the information minister as an "extremely hardworking person", saying no one should consider that he is against Fawad Chaudhry. "I am not eager to become information minister. I'm happy with the ministry of railways and will deliver in the same," he said. 

"Fawad is my brother and he will continue to be the information minister. I will never be a part of any conspiracy against him come what may," he said. He lamented that people even record private conversations, saying that may Almighty Allah guide the ones running fake stories to the right path.

Sheikh Rashid had claimed earlier that Prime Minister Imran Khan had offered him to "come to the Ministry of Information. The minister for railways was heard speaking to officials prior to formally addressing a press conference in Lahore. He claimed he held four meetings with the prime minister on Friday. Sheikh Rashid said the information minister "is on a picnic in London for the last eight days and I have asked him to return." Questioned by a reporter later at the presser what his response would be, if asked by the premier for a change of portfolio. "I'd say love you. Thank you very much," Sheikh Rashid replied.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to PM Iftikhar Durrani said there is no truth in the reports of replacement of the information minister. "Fawad Chaudhry is working efficiently and the prime minister is satisfied with his performance," he said. The PM's aide said Fawad Chaudhry is in London for four days and he would return to country on Sunday. Durrani said he has no idea of the change in the Ministry of Information, adding the prime minister would review performance of different ministries on Monday.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said he would be more than happy to vacate his position for Sheikh Rashid and serve as an MNA instead. "We all use the powers bestowed by people of Pakistan and the prime minister decides who is best fit for the role," the information minister said in his tweet, in reaction to the railways minister’s statement splashed widely on the media. “I will be more than happy to vacate my position for Sheikh Rashid sb and serve as MNA, we all use trust powers bestowed by people of Pakistan and PM decides who is best fit in the role. However, till I am minister, I will not bow to blackmailing of advertisement lobby,” Fawad said.

At the time of consultations on deciding the ministerial slots, Sheikh Rashid had evinced his interest in the Ministry of Information, which he had served previously. However, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Fawad Chaudhry was finally given the slot. The veteran politician from Rawalpindi, who heads the Awami Muslim League (AML), was made the railways minister. Interestingly, Sheikh Rashid has not only served as the minister for information but also as the railways minister previously. Fawad has been in the news, particularly with reference to his protracted verbal bout with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentary leader in the Senate Mushahidullah Khan in recent weeks. However, both had struck ‘reconciliation’ finally. The ‘tiff’ between the two had culminated into banning the entry of Fawad to the Senate by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, who was called upon by the joint opposition to take the unusual action, otherwise, they would boycott the proceedings and hold mock Senate sessions outside the Parliament House. It was quite astonishing for many, when PTI Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan contradicted Fawad's statement that the cabinet had discussed the conduct of Sanjrani but Fawad told the media that Prime Minister Imran Khan threw his support behind his ministers. Afterwards, in a Geo programme, Fawad again rejected Ali Muhammad’s statement that the cabinet had not discussed the conduct of the Senate chairman, insisting the cabinet had discussed his conduct, but said it was quite possible that when the came up, the minister for parliamentary affairs might have left the cabinet meeting. To this, interestingly, Ali Muhammad preferred to stay silent or he was asked not to drag this matter any further.