By News Desk
ISLAMABAD: The federal ministers Sunday said a “good match” was seen during the Senate elections in which everyone took revenge from the other.
On the other hand, the opposition said the days of the ‘fake government’ are numbered, and no one can save it.
Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak said while talking to journalists that everyone took revenge in the Senate elections, while the PML-N took revenge from the PPP in the second phase. He said seven votes were deliberately got rejected by senators to show how to give a jolt. He said the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was also deceived in the Senate election, and he enjoyed the show.
Pervaiz Khattak said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is befooling the Maulana. He advised the Maulana to leave the PDM before his colleagues leave him mid-way during the long march.
Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz said that no component in the PDM was akin to the other and it had fallen apart, while the last nail in their coffin was the poll of chairman and deputy chairman Senate. Speaking at a news conference along with Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, the minister asserted that the PML-N stabbed the PPP in the back, while the PPP stabbed the JUI-F in the back, which was reflected in the results.
“It is a conglomeration of those, having mala fide intentions against one another. They thought that the win of one seat in the federal capital had revived them, but it turned out to an isolated event in the end. The PPP has a different approach, while Maulana Fazl wants resignations and the PML-N finds differences internally on its future course of action,” he contended.
To a question, he said that though he was not much hopeful, but PDM should review its planned long march in the country’s interest and in view of the risks involved in the backdrop of third wave of coronavirus. “Whatever identity is left will be erased, if they go for their planned programme,” he believed.
About the marked difference of prices of flour, oil, sugar and other items of daily use in 2018 and in 2021, the minister said that there were diverse reasons of the same, and added that these were the results of the lopsided policies of the past regimes when only big projects like those of roads and bridges were materialised for kickbacks and the state institutions continued to face decay.
Shibli argued that PML-N’s Miftah Ismail had conceded on the floor of the National Assembly towards the end of their government that the state of economy was not good and they would have to go to IMF.
On its part, the government was taking various measures, including empowerment of the SBP, so that it could effectively control inflation. “The issues are complex and the government is moving forward accordingly to tackling them,” he maintained.
He emphasised that the economic indicators were very positive and the economy was running again despite the corona factor and this was because of prime minister and his government’s best strategy of saving lives as well as keeping the wheel of economy moving, ensuring livelihood and provide cash relief to those who deserved it. He noted this strategy was appreciated at the international level.
The minister came hard on the opposition and said that at a time when the coronavirus cases had registered an upsurge, political orphans were trying again to create instability in the country.
Fawad Chaudhry said that the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif “wants to be like exiled MQM founder Altaf Hussain.”
“Nawaz should, however, remember the ultimate fate of the MQM leader,” Chaudhry said. The minister was addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside the Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Shibli Faraz.
Chaudhry further said that Nawaz Sharif and the founder of MQM are the “gift of the 1985 elections”.
“They are not political people, because defeat in politics is something common. Losing, however, does not give anyone the licence to speak against the state,” Chaudhry said.
“MQM’s founder and Nawaz Sharif cannot return to Pakistan from London, while Maryam Nawaz cannot leave Pakistan as we will not let that happen. I commend the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for getting Maryam’s bail plea rejected (by the court).”
Fawad Chaudhry said that PTI Central Punjab has announced a protest against the remarks made by PML-N’s MNA Javed Latif. He also said that Javed Latif is “just a pawn”, as such ideas are espoused by PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif.
The minister further said that the PTI is a “federal party with a big heart,” because of which it is ready to speak with the opposition in terms of parliamentary reforms and move forward.
“There is, however, no room for negotiation when it comes to the (corruption) cases filed against PML-N and PPP,” Fawad Chaudhry maintained.
Meanwhile, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the NAB has become a tool of the ‘selected’ PTI government.
According to a private news channel, the Maulana said that there are no justifiable reasons found for the cancellation of Maryam Nawaz’s bail appeal. He said that the incumbent government and fake leaders are trying to overcome their incompetence by taking revenge from the opposition.
The JUI-F leader said the ‘days of the ‘selected’ government are numbered. He added, “It is a vicious conspiracy to run the judiciary on the lines of the NAB and we severely condemn it.”
Meanwhile, the PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said while talking to media in Narowal that there is no doubt that there are some weaknesses among the senators. He said reforms are inevitable for making next elections transparent. He said the opposition would definitely consider cooperation with the government if it showed seriousness towards electoral reforms. He said every party would look into its ranks to find out which senators compromised in the election of deputy chairman Senate.