‘Army chiefs went to US with ex-PMs’: Were Gilani, Nawaz, Abbasi also ‘selected’, asks Firdous

SIALKOT: Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Sunday Prime Minister Imran Khan was conducting the US tour to present Pakistan’s viewpoint and fight its case there.

Addressing a press conference here, she said the premier had set a great example of simplicity and austerity by using a commercial flight to go to the US, instead of using a private and luxurious jet. She said the move would greatly help promote the image of Pakistan and the current government in the comity of nations.

She lamented that the former rulers used to take scores of family members, other relatives and friends on foreign tours at the state expense. She said such elements had now been using the name of democracy to protect their looted wealth.

While criticising a statement of PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, Dr Firdous said the “Rajkumari” was distorting the facts, as she was not aware of the history. She reminded Maryam Nawaz that the army chiefs had also accompanied Yusuf Raza Gilani, her father Nawaz Sharif and her party leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi when they went abroad on official tours as prime ministers of the country. “Were they also 'selected' prime ministers,” Dr Firdous asked the PML-N vice president.

The special assistant strongly condemned the fresh terror incidents in Dera Ismail Khan and expressed solidarity and sympathy with the martyred and the injured persons. She said such coward acts of terrorism could never dampen the spirits of Pakistanis for achieving the goals of peace and harmony.

She termed the general election in the merged tribal districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (PK) a great victory of peace and democracy-loving people of the region. She said the residents of the tribal areas offered great sacrifices for establishment of peace in their region. She said holding of smooth and transparent elections in the tribal areas proved that terrorism had lost grounds there and peace had won. She said the independent candidates, who won elections in the tribal merged districts, would certainly support the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Commenting on no-confidence motion against the Senate chairman, she claimed the opposition would face defeat in its move to change the chairman. She said the government would fully support the Senate chairman against the undemocratic move of the opposition.