ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) wanted to have powers of the courts, the NAB and the FIA, wishing all institutions to act according to their whims.
Speaking at a news conference here, she asserted untrue reports were attributed to the DG Forensic Punjab despite the fact that a report on the purported video and audio clips of Judge Arshad Malik is yet to be furnished. She claimed that a political clique was involved in spreading baseless information adding that it was a way of Maryam Safdar’s party to cheat people and speak lies. “If I could recall, it were you, as you had once said you own no property in Pakistan what to talk of having it abroad,” she quipped.
Dr. Awan also reminded Maryam how the Sharif family had left Pakistan along with 40 boxes. She alleged that the PML-N senior leader Ahsan Iqbal was focusing on building a sports stadium near the border with India and violations of rules and regulations were committed in the project. The matter, she noted, is being taken care of by the Supreme Court and the FIA would submit its report to the court. She said a video made 16 years ago was reduced to five minutes with changes and then run. However, Dr. Awan said the FIA would also file a report with the court on the motives behind the clips. Calling the PML-N leadership a mafia, she said they had made such stories and spoken lies so many times that they sounded like the truth. About the role of opposition parties, she said a gang devoid of political maturity is spreading fake and toxic propaganda to mislead people, insisting it would not work.
To a question, she said Prime Minister Imran Khan during his visit to the US would not take out a chit from his pocket and start reading it out like the past rulers — a reference to the ex-PM Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. She explained that the prime minister would sensitise the international community to the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan to bring peace and stability to the region. Firdous said Pakistan has emerged as a proponent of peace and the entire world has acknowledged its pivotal role in resolving the Afghan conflict. Dr. Awan said the civil and military leadership is on the same page and for them the national interest is above all things. She said PM Khan’s US visit has set an example of austerity, as he traveled by a commercial flight and will stay at the residence of Pakistan’s ambassador in the US.
The visit, she made it clear, would protect defense, national interest and security of the country and Prime Minister Imran Khan would apprise the US leadership of thousands of sacrifices made by Pakistan to bring peace and stability in the country and region. About the first-ever provincial assembly elections in tribal districts, she said successful holding of elections in erstwhile Fata on Saturday saw tribal people voting in large numbers to exercise their constitutional and democratic right. “The holding of free, fair and transparent election in tribal districts is the victory of peace. Whichever political party won the election would be the victory of peace,” she said. She pointed out it was also for the first time that a ruling party in the province had provided equal campaigning opportunities to all parties. She commended the sacrifices of armed forces and civil institutions for restoring peace and order in the area.
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