Nobody stopped PM from ‘cleaning house’: Nisar

ISLAMABAD: Taking an exception to the statement of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi emphasising ‘in-house cleaning’, former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday said the government should refrain from issuing such statements that could support the enemy’s narrative and embarrass Pakistan in the international community.

Reacting to the contents of the prime minister’s media talk in London, Nisar said nobody had stopped him from putting the house in order, but issuance of such statements could strengthen the enemy’s narrative, bringing embarrassment to the country.He said the prime minister should talk about putting the house in order but he should not embarrass the country (make it ‘Tamasha’) before the international community.

He said if anybody had any doubts, then they should go through the comments in the Indian media following the statement of Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif about “putting the own house in order.”

Earlier, the former interior minister also held a meeting with the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and discussed with him the overall political scenario in the country and the party’s matters.

Nisar said nobody could object to the cleaning of the house, but instead of giving such statements some effective practical measures were needed to be taken. “We need to address mistakes and weaknesses in ourselves,” he said.

He said by issuing such statement, important personalities in the government were accepting as to what the Indians say about Pakistan. “But did the Indian government ever confess to anything wrong in their country,” he questioned.

He pointed out that foreign guests were tortured in India and Muslims were butchered in the name of holy cow but so such statements come from their side. Nisar said the refugees’ influx from Afghanistan played havoc with Pakistan but Afghanistan or US never admitted the need for taking internal measures for eradication of terrorism.

He pointed out that during the last four years effective measures were taken for cleaning though a lot still needed to be done.  “The measures taken for cleaning the house in the last four years has no precedence in country’s history,” he said.

Agencies add: Meanwhile, emphasising national unity and cohesion, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal Tuesday said a country facing chaos did not need an enemy.

He said this while addressing a national conference on “Changing Security in South Asia and Development of CPEC” here. Lending support to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on their statements about the “in-house cleaning”, he said Pakistan must set its house in order.

“Pakistan’s internal security situation needs improvement. I don’t want to make any comments on the country’s trade,” he said. “First the prime minister, then foreign minister and now I am saying that once we set our house in order we would be able to ask other countries about trade.”

The interior minister criticised the previous rulers for extending friendly ties with the US for a few spare parts of aero planes. He presented the new world order which would be based on friendly ties and partnerships. 

He said the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was making a tremendous progress with the completion of infrastructure and energy projects and time was ripe to benefit from this major initiative.

“Chinese investment, technology and Pakistan’s location, with low production cost combined together made a winning combination,” he said. The minister said through various energy projects power shortage would be overcome, which was the first prerequisite to industrial development.

"The present government has ensured generation of 10,000 MW electricity compared to 16,000 MW, which was generated during 66 years. The energy security would ensure economic security for the country," said Ahsan.

"In the past, the country was facing 20-hour electricity shortages. Now it is available 20 hours a day.” He said development and improved standard of living was not possible without peace, stability and harmony.

“The world has entered the information age and countries are competing for economic ascendancy. If there is a conflict, then the development process gets stalled," he maintained.

He said Pakistan was committed to peace in the region and would not allow anybody to use its soil for terrorism. He said the government was working in coordination with other governments to promote regional peace.

He said only a strong economy with a favourable environment would ensure development and prosperity. The minister said Pakistan had defeated terrorism and now its economy, sports activities and tourism were being revived.

He said Pakistan was on the path of recovery contrary to 2013 when security situation was not well, but now there was renewed optimism and energy. He said the CPEC should not be made controversial, as it would bring about sustainable prosperity in Pakistan as well as the region.

Under the Vision 2025, he said, the government has envisaged the country as a hub of trade, commerce and connectivity.

Critics may argue that the government is just building roads, but in reality everything whether it is health services, education, or business needs better connectivity without which nothing is possible. In the past, it took two days to travel from Gwadar to Quetta and now with the expressway it takes just eight hours, he remarked.