Nisar offers Imran to name any FIA officer to probe Panama Papers revelations; says PTI won’t be allowed to hold public meeting at F-9 park; people using abusive language can’t be Muslim scholars; good civil-military relations impeded enemy
KALLAR SYEDAN (Rawalpindi): Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Saturday said that the government had contacted two former chief justices to head the judicial commission but due to the hue and cry of the opposition they refrained from taking on the responsibility.
Talking to the media here, he said the offer of the government for a judicial commission was unconditional.
The government would take a decision on the issue of the judicial commission in a day or two, he added.
Nisar said that the Interior Ministry was ready to probe the Panama Leaks through the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
He asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to point out any FIA officer of his choice to conduct an inquiry if he wanted the Panama Leaks to be probed by the FIA.
He said that no one will be allowed to hold a public rally in the federal capital.
Nisar said that he will consult with the political parties after the approval of the federal cabinet regarding public rallies in Islamabad.
The Interior Minister said the PTI would not be allowed to hold a public meeting in F-9 Park on April 24 or a gathering in D-Chowk, adding that on the occasion of the Chehlum of Mumtaz Qadri a written agreement with the administration was violated.
The F-9 Park is for recreation of the public and sit-ins and public meetings could not be allowed there, he added.
He said Imran Khan does not have the prerogative to address the people on national television.
He said the federal government could not seal the capital every other day, adding that in this connection a decision has been made and after the approval of the cabinet soon all the political parties would be taken into confidence.
The PML-N would not always be in power, he remarked, adding that Pakistan was already facing an image problem due to terrorism, and the frequent sealing of the capital had affected the image of the country abroad.
Protest activities caused problems for the residents of Islamabad, he said.
Nisar said that those parties which wanted to show their political power have the whole country except Islamabad for this purpose.
The minister said a particular point would be designated in future for any public meeting in Islamabad.
“Now it has become a norm to paralyse the nation after an incident,” he added.
The minister said a new tradition was set at the time of the Chehlum of Mumtaz Qadri as people gathered and marched onward to Islamabad.
“In the written agreement, the gathering should have ended after prayers at 5 pm,” he said, adding that people started marching towards Islamabad as early as 1:30 pm.
The administration fulfilled its pledge but a group did not honour the promise for its political objectives, he added.
He said the Punjab chief minister has been told that permission should not be granted for such programmes.
He questioned what kind of people were those who used abusive language while claiming to be Muslims.
“Such people cannot be religious scholars,” he added.
The minister said that during the sit-in in Islamabad these people damaged the Metro bus service and injured some policemen and Rangers personnel.
To a question, he said the previous day Imran Khan mentioned his name and said he had to be answerable to Allah Almighty.
“I am not answerable to Imran Khan but am indeed answerable to Allah Almighty.”
The minister said the matter should soon become clear as to who looted the country.
Even among an opposition party, the names of whose leaders were included in the Panama leaks, was criticising the government, he said, adding that his party should be criticised but the criticism should start from one’s own party.
He went on to say that the PTI should decide whether it wanted only to level allegations and hold a media trial of the government or wanted to sort out the issue.
“If the aim is to only level allegations and defame the government then the nation should decide.
“If the nation has to be informed about the facts then the PTI should sit with the government and play its role to create an independent judicial commission,” he said.
Nisar said the heads of a number of countries have been accused but most of them ignored the Panama Papers.
However, the prime minister took notice of the issue and announced the formation of the judicial commission, he said, adding that if there was any proof it should be presented before the judicial commission.
He said he agreed with Imran Khan that the nation should be informed about the facts but this could not be done through sit-ins.
To a question, Chaudhry Nisar said the government could not keep silent on the arrest of the Indian agent.
He said good civil-military relations and widespread national unity has impeded the enemy, adding that the enemies wanted a civil-military rift but it would not happen in any way.
“Three days before a unanimous message was sent through the National Security Council while the matter was also raised with the President of Iran,” he added.
He said the Interior Ministry sent a reference to Iran at the government level and the Foreign Office summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner and raised the spy issue.
He stressed that the issue was a matter of honour for the country and every individual and member of the government would stand as a fortified wall in front of the enemies of the country.
Responding to a question, he said Imran Khan would not be allowed to address the nation on Pakistan Television.
In the whole world only the president and prime minister can make an address on the national channel and even the opposition leader does not enjoy this privilege, he added.
The minister said Imran Khan is not even an opposition leader and is just a member of the National Assembly.
“When I was leader of the opposition despite requestsm, coverage was not given to me,” he said, adding that complete speech of Imran Khan in the National Assembly was shown by the private media and he was anyhow getting more coverage than the president and the prime minister.
On the occasion, the minister also addressed newly elected councillors and inaugurated different development schemes in the town.
He announced projects of Rs17 billion for Kallar Syedan and Rawat.
The minister was given a briefing about the Special Education Centre and Land Record Centre.
He said the elected representatives should serve the people as their servants and people should get justice.
“No chairman or councillor of the local government would be allowed to indulge in any wrongdoing,” he said, adding that local government representatives should keep a watch on the performance of departments.
A committee of local leaders would be formed at the Tehsil level to solve the problems of the people, he added.
Nisar said that persons have been arrested for giving fake jobs to teachers while the main accused would also be nabbed.
He ordered the preparation of a feasibility study of the broken roads of Rawat to Kallar Syedan and a bypass within 15 days.