PM Imran Khan begins Ehtesab from himself, his team: Firdous Ashiq Awan

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to PM on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Monday said the Prime Minister Imran Khan had started accountability (Ehtesab) from himself and his team.

She said that PM’s decisions regarding the cabinet reflected his resolve to purge the system of corruption virus once and for all. In her video message, following the cabinet reshuffle and removal of some key members of his team, Dr Firdous said that the masseshad given mandate to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to root out the virus of corruption, which had rendered the state entities to five percent of the ruling elite, usurping the legal and constitutional rights of 95 percent population of Pakistan.

“These decisions also reflect his bright thinking of caring for the masses rights instead of a few individuals. And, there is no precedence in 70 years of Pakistan of this self-accountability and it also reflects that the focus and centre of his policies are the masses; for their facilitation and resolution of problems and issues,” she noted.

She said that no group or individuals, as per the prime minister’s vision, could be allowed to take undue advantage of any particular situation. “There is no room for such self-centred policies in the Naya Pakistan with a new thinking. Unlike the past, anyone coming between masses and their interests will be taken to task. The message is loud and clear that there is no sacred cow. It is time to translate the slogan prime minister gave of ‘not two, one Pakistan’ into reality,” she maintained.

Dr Firdous contended that the benchmark was now performance and it would be given preference over any other consideration. She added like a messiah, Prime Minister would not tolerate any impediment in the way of realisation of masses fundamental legal and constitutional rights.

Keeping that approach in mind, she pointed out while Prime Minister had given target to the commission to furnish its findings by April 25 in the light of well-defined SOPs and TORs, a substitute system other than the Sugar Mills Association, based on latest technology would be put in place incorporating every related aspect, including interests of sugar growers, sugarcane production and production of sugar besides the taxation.

The new system, she explained, would be foolproof with focus on safeguarding interests of 220 million people as well. She regretted that the Competition Commission of Pakistan had unfortunately become tool in the hands of vested interests; the stakeholders are playing with the public rights instead of discouraging hoarding and cartelisation.

She continued when Prime Minister initiated reforms and self-accountability, its chairperson got stay from courts and it was an eye-opener for the government, as those who were supposed to protect the masses rights, became tool in the hands of a few individuals. She added the Competition Commission of Pakistan was to be restructured and equipped with latest technology besides evolving a new mechanism.

Dr Firdous came hard on the opposition for their bid to charge-sheet the prime minister and his cabinet members, who had started the process of self-accountability, never done before in the country, keeping in focus his cause and not the political interests and taking difficult decisions.

She regretted that the opposition was trying to snatch away prime minister’s credit just to keep them alive politically, asking opposition leaders, doing news conferences, to give due credit to the prime minister instead, who took bold decisions in the light of the inquiry report. “It is time to act, forge unity to defeat the coronavirus pandemic. Opposition must provide guidelines to the government in this connection,” she said.

The prime minister, she noted, is endeavouring to take people out of difficulties and particularly he was busy to protect 220 million people from the virus and its impact and giving a way forward and a comprehensive strategy, taking along provinces and holding daily meetings to ensure its implementation.

She said the prime minister would give a substitute policy to save people from being abused by the vested interests after receiving the final report, as bringing about facilitation in the life of people and ensuring provision of their due rights, is his top priority.