Ready to form panel to probe ‘rigging’: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Hussain Saturday said the government was ready to constitute a commission to probe into alleged rigging in the general elections as per demand of the opposition.

In response to a news conference addressed by the PML-N President Mian Shahbaz Sharif, he pointed out that Prime Minister Imran Khan had, on the very first day, assured the opposition of taking all steps on the matter.

He, however, regretted that the opposition was using the issue of alleged rigging as a political stunt, as it had not so far produced any concrete evidence in this regard.

He said it was better for the opposition to sit together and present concrete proposals.

He said the opposition had failed to share exactly where rigging was done and had no idea from where the polling agents were pushed out.

With regard to the opposition's allegation of reducing the number of projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, the minister said there was no truth in it.

“The PTI government will complete all projects under the CPEC and increase funding for them,” he maintained.

The minister rejected the opposition’s allegation that the government had increased the prices of fertilizers, electricity and gas. He castigated the previous PML-N government for playing with the power, power and fertilizer sectors.

Fawad said dams were necessary for storage of water and to save the future generations of Pakistan.

He said Pakistani people at home and abroad trusted Prime Minister Imran Khan and will definitely make financial contributions to the dams’ fund.

Responding to the opposition’s criticism of prime minister for making an appeal to expatriates to donate 1,000 dollars for building dams, he asked each opposition member to also contribute at least 1,000 dollars for the cause.

He assured the opposition that their donations would be spent only on building dams.

The minister said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz went to jail during the tenure of PML-N government for corruption and failing to prove the source of their income and assets.