India caught in snare it set for Masood Azhar: Qureshi

MULTAN: Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday that India set the net for Masood Azhar but it got entangled in it.

He said China was helping Pakistan in strengthening economy. India was propagating against Pak-China friendship to sabotage it. He said India had been divided over the matter of Maulana Masood Azhar and the BJP government did not exchange solid evidence with Pakistan over Pulwama incident, he added.

He said that situation regarding return of Shahbaz Sharif would clear in a few days. He said that he had no difference over new Local Government (LG) system.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Pakistan was increasing petroleum prices lately due to rise in the international market, and the cabinet meeting had discussed the issue in detail.

Talking to the media at the inaugural ceremony of a commercial plaza here, he said rise in petroleum prices was not a budget deficit because it did not depreciate rupee. He said the past governments destroyed the economy, but Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was going to introduce ‘Ehsaas’ programme for the poor segments of society.

The minister said voters had given five years mandate to the PTI government and only they would decide about the fate of the party in the light of its performance after five years.

He said Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leadership should tell people about the change of party leadership overnight. “Will the PML-N leadership take the parliament and people into confidence regarding recent change in the parliamentary leadership? Why such a change was made suddenly, as members of their party are also in a state of shock,” he added.

He said PML-N senior leadership was also unaware of the recent developments in the party. “Only a gang of four was aware of change of the party command,” he said.

Qureshi said Raja Zafarul Haq and Mian Javed Latif had also expressed their surprise over the change in the party. He said the gang of four or five persons was taking all decisions and parliamentary party was unaware of those decisions. He asked how Rana Tanveer Hussain could be the head of PAC when it had already been decided that the opposition leader in National Assembly would be the PAC chairman. He said no opposition party could be consulted on nomination of Rana Tanveer. Shah Mehmood Qureshi said he had come to know that Shahbaz Sharif’s health might not allow him to return to Pakistan. However, the PTI would wait for a certain period of time for his return to the country. He said tribesmen are patriotic and they are safeguarding Pakistan. The tribesmen have been facing troubles for the last 17 years, he remarked. Qureshi demanded the Sindh government give three per cent funds for war victims, just like Punjab and Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa provinces. He said Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) would stand with the PTI for launching of new Local Government system in Punjab. He said peace in Afghanistan would bring peace in Pakistan. Afghanistan has been in war for long, and complete restoration of peace would take time. He said the FBR chairman and State Bank governor were removed in the light of their performance.