Govt, opposition meeting on NAB laws on 13th: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Kh Saad Rafique was not welcomed in the PML-N’s meetings anymore as major rifts existed within the party, Geo News reported.

“There are rifts in the PML-N leadership, and I have also heard that party leaders have asked Saad Rafique not to attend PML-N meetings anymore,” he said this while addressing an event Friday. The minister prayed for Nawaz Sharif’s health and hoped the former prime minister will return to the country and face cases against him. He said the government had allocated a huge portion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the science and technology sector. “We have to efficiently run science departments of schools and colleges across the country,” he said. “Unfortunately, even after being a nuclear power we (Pakistanis) have still not been able to build a TV set,” he added.

Talking about the prime minister’s Ehsaas Programme, he said the main objective of the government’s initiative was to help uplift the poor. “The Opposition parties showed responsibility in amending the Army Act,” he said while referring to the recently passed bill. “We are trying to build a consensus with the Opposition over the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance, and will also consider their rightful demands,” Fawad said. Earlier, Fawad questioned the performance of Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), which is responsible for reviewing the laws in the light of Islamic principles. “There are serious questions on the CII as the religious class has never got any meaningful guidance from the body,” he said in a tweet.

On the other hand, Fawad Chaudhry said things are moving ahead between the government and Opposition with reconciliation.

Talking to media in Lahore Friday, Fawad said the government and Opposition in a meeting Monday would discuss amendment in the NAB laws whereas on the issue of Election Commission, development was expected till Tuesday. To a query, he said to think the PTI would deviate from its stance on accountability process was out of question. He also said an advert had to be published for the missing Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif and asserted that he must return. Sharifs had set up ‘turns’ for visiting Pakistan, he further added.