No political victimisation of Qadri, says minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal said that no political victimisation would be done against PAT chief Tahirul Qadri but he would have to surrender himself before the law of the land as done by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif by accepting court decision in Panama verdict and appearing before courts.

When asked about possibility of putting the name of Qadri on the ECL, the minister replied that there was no political victimisation done against him but he should appear before the law related to his cases as done by the PTI chief Imran Khan.

He said that the law would take its course without having consideration of political victimisation. He said that the former premier Nawaz Sharif surrendered himself before the law by accepting verdict of court and now he was appearing in different courts so Tahirul Qadri would have to surrender himself before the law of the land.

He said that there was cost attached to moves related to political destabilisation as the capital market lost billions of dollars capitalisation during the last one year in 2017. Earlier, while addressing inauguration ceremony of PC-1 Automation System at P Block Auditorium, the minister said that there was need to undertake economic long march instead of launching sit-ins and protest for sake of political destabilisation. “Tahirul Qadri should initiate long march for bringing economic prosperity instead of destabilising political system,” he said and added that the completion of second consecutive term of democratic dispensation would result into giving positive image of Pakistan by showcasing that it was not incidental that one government completed its term but second completion would signal that the political system got matured in Pakistan.

He said that the countries were being judged on the basis of economic prosperity and per capita income so the politics of destabilisation, sit-ins and protests should be abandoned for the sake of country’s interests.

He said that the incumbent PML-N led regime rationalised the cost of development projects and saved around $6.6 billion of the national kitty during the last four years period. He added in the same breath that there was no misappropriation of funds but the lack of capacity or hasty preparation of PC-1 at ministries level resulted into projection cost escalation which was rationalised and saved $6.6 billion.

He said that automation of PC-1 was step in the right direction as it would help tracking down development projects in more sophisticated manner. The development of software of PC-1 is welcome but it should be implemented in its true letter and spirit for achieving the desired results, he added.