PPP, PML-N destroyed institutions: Murad Saeed

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Communications and Postal Services, Murad Saeed said on Thursday said that the policies of last governments of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had ruined public sector institutions including PIA, and Pakistan Steel Mills during the era of Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif.

He said it was ironic that Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whose entire family was facing cases of corruption and money laundering, was accusing others of corruption.

Addressing a press conference here, Murad Saeed said that in a JIT report of recently made public sugar scam, Zardari's name was mentioned as his mills were given subsidy by the Sindh government. He said it was an open secret that funds allocated for the welfare of the Sindh people were transferred in the accounts of Asif Zardari and Faryal Talpur but now his son had made fun of his family by raising fingers towards the incumbent regime.

He said that Bilawal had no courage to listen to the speech of a PTI worker in the National Assembly, and like the past left the House on Thursday in a hurry after raising quorum. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, he said, was imposed on the PPP as its chairman without any training in politics, and he did not know that political parties were answerable to the masses and media as this was the essence of democratic process.

Murad Saeed said that after 50 years, during the past one year Kashmir issue had been discussed in the UN Security Council twice which was the proof that the Kashmir case had been successfully advocated by Prime Minister Imran Khan at international forums. The minister said that if some legislation was being done in line with ICJ rules, there was no need to make it controversial. He reminded Bilawal it was the statement of Nawaz Sharif which India used for its benefit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). He said the people of Pakistan remembered the departure from Pakistan of Raymond Davis during the PPP rule that had killed Pakistani nationals in broad daylight. He also reminded that Wiki leaks had exposed the duplicity of the PPP leaders as it said that Asif Zardari had given go ahead to US forces for drone attacks. He said that Pakistan today was known for tourism, not terrorism and its credit goes to the present government.

He said it was Imran Khan who contested the case of Islam, Pakistan and Kashmir at the international foray, whereas in the past they surrendered before the demand of "do more". Murad Saeed said Bilawal had challenged the PTI for debate and he had accepted the challenge which was promptly accepted as the PTI was ready to be accountable for its 7-year rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa whereas the PPP would be answerable for it's over three-decade rule in Sindh. He challenged Bilawal to decide whether he would hold a debate in the National Assembly, any public rally or at any news channel.

He said that everyone knew that Karachi was being systematically destroyed by the PPP. He said that Karachi's contribution to Pakistan has been phenomenal but PPP has devastated it. Taking about the sugar scam, he said that for the first time such an inquiry was conducted and its findings were made public and its credit went to Prime Minister Imran Khan.