Tarar sees ‘forward bloc’ in PTI amid ‘internal rifts’

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar Monday said that a “sheer power struggle” within the ranks of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) may lead to its disintegration or creation of a forward bloc.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, Tarar said that top PTI leaders like Gohar Ali Khan and Sher Afzal Khan are taking contradictory stances on different issues. He regretted the “childish attitude” put up by the PTI which is a national party.

He advised the PTI leaders to shun their internal politics and play its due role in strengthening the economy.

Lambasting the PTI, the federal minister said sometimes they wrote a letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but sometimes asked the European Union (EU) to investigate the election process in Pakistan.

If they had any complaint, they should knock the door of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) or Election Tribunals, he said.

He said once they were accusing the United States of toppling the PTI government, now they had hired lobbying firms in Washington.

The info minister said that American diplomat Donald Lu had called the PTI founder as a “certified liar”.

He urged the PTI leaders to join mainstream politics and contribute to the nation building process.

“We need to create unity and consensus at the national political scenario”, he opined. Tarar said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the government is fully committed to the agenda of economic reforms.

He said that the premier was holding meetings on the economy on a daily basis as the government’s focus was on solving the people’s problems.

“We are focusing on measures like privatisation, reduction of government expenditure, tax reforms, digitisation of FBR, expansion of tax net and reduction of tax burden on the poor segments of the society.”