Establishment is neutral: Sheikh Rashid

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Wednesday said the “establishment is neutral and standing with the elected government”, in a message to the Opposition parties who are making hectic efforts to dislodge the PTI's government.

When asked about the no-trust motion during a press conference in Islamabad, the interior minister said that the politics of PML-N and PDM chief Fazal-ur-Rehman does not match, adding that they could not complete the required numbers.

Sheikh Rashid maintained that the establishment was neutral and with the elected government. The interior minister said that the Opposition was approaching their coalition partners and seeking support on the no-trust motion.

“PML-Q leader Shujaat Hussain is an honest man and like his brother,” the minister said, adding that he will not support the Opposition.

Responding to another question, he said that Shahbaz Sharif is more corrupt than Nawaz Sharif.

‘Enjoying good relations with Taliban’

The interior minister said that Pakistan is enjoying good relations with the Afghan Taliban and hoped that they will not allow their soil to be used against Pakistan.

Hijab controversy in India

Condemning the Karnataka college incident where a Muslim girl was heckled for wearing hijab by a mob of over 100 male Hindu students wearing saffron scarves, Sheikh Rashid said that a girl had exposed Indian politics.

A day earlier, amid the ongoing hijab row controversy in the Karnataka state of India, a mob of over 100 male students wearing saffron scarves bullied a Muslim girl wearing a hijab.

In a video, that caused a stir among people, a girl named Muskan, wearing hijab, could be seen getting accosted by a “saffron-scarf clad mob” chanting "Jai Shri Ram” (victory to lord Rama) when she entered her college.

In response, the girl chanted “Allah Hu Akbar” (Allah is great) and turned her back towards the mob.

Sheikh Rashid said that the girl had shown the world the real face of India and the behaviour being faced by the minorities, especially the Muslims.

Responding to a question, the interior minister said that Iran’s foreign minister will arrive in Pakistan on February 14.