All set for a longer innings: Crisis over, say federal ministers

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar Tuesday said after facing crises inherited by the PTI government from the previous regimes, Prime Minister Imran Khan had settled on the crease now and was ready to play a long and productive innings for the country’s betterment.

“This is indeed a bad news for the opposition parties,” he said while briefing the media, along with other ministers, about the government’s two-year performance here.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Adviser to the PM on Finance Hafeez Shaikh, Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Dr Sania Nishtar were also present.

Asad said during the previous two years, the PTI leadership and PM Imran Khan reflected all elements that were necessary for making the country strong and stable.

“After struggling for 22 years, Imran Khan became Prime Minister and with the combination of dignity, courage, and grace, he successfully faced the worst economic situation, the Indian challenge that erupted after the Balakot situation, and COVID-19 crisis,” Asad Umar added.

He said the government’s timely decisions and actions had minimized the impact of COVID-19 on the people’s health as well as economy compared to other regional countries.

Asad Umar said despite pressure of imposing complete lockdown from other political parties, the media and the civil society, the government chose the option of a smart lockdown by keeping in view the difficulties of poor people.

He said the prime minister had been insisting from day one that a complete lockdown was no solution to contain the pandemic that was later proved by the fact that Pakistan’s successful strategy was hailed by the world.

He maintained that with respect to COVID-19, the PM took all the actions and decisions by engaging all provinces and other federating units that was proof of the fact that irrespective of party affiliation, Imran Khan was ready to work together only for the betterment of the country.

He said the opposition parties’ demand for NRO would never be accepted. “We succeeded in showing competence, deployment of best technology and political cohesion in controlling COVID-19 and minimizing economic impact on the common people. It was a unique challenge in which the world economies failed, as the United States’ GDP shrank by 30 percent and that of the UK by 20 percent.

The world, he said was acknowledging Pakistan’s efforts in controlling the pandemic especially in context of the contrast in the neighbouring country India, where the corona cases went up steeply.

Presenting previous two weeks’ data, the minister said according to population, deaths in Bangladesh due to corona were four times higher compared to Pakistan, while in India and Iran the ratio was 1:12 and 1:20.

On the economic front, he said during March-July period, the exports of India and Bangladesh declined by 33 percent and 31 percent respectively, while in Pakistan exports decreased by 20 percent.

“So Pakistan faced less loss on both health and economic sides,” he said. Asad said the previous governments were only focused on the benefit of few families but PM Imran Khan’s one and only priority was the people of Pakistan.

He said the premier had announced lucrative packages for those whose income was affected by the pandemic. Asad admitted that the PTI government had committed mistakes while dealing with the media, price hike and accountability.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz Tuesday said difficult period for the people of Pakistan was over now and good times had arrived, which reflected in multiple positive developments of the last week.

A 204-page report, compiled by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting containing the government’s achievements and reforms in diverse fields during the period between August 18, 2018 and August 18, 2020 was released on the occasion.

Shibli said the PTI government was presenting its two-year performance to the public, which was the essence and basic practice of democracy. The minister said the formation of PTI was based on the thinking of national poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal and founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which ended the politics of right and left in the country and introduced the politics of ‘right and wrong.’

He said Pakistan became a geographical reality in 1947 but unfortunately, the ideological goals for which it was created could not be achieved so far. He said the past rulers focused on their personal welfare instead of working for the betterment of people and the country, but now the masses had rejected this brand of politics.

“The objective of PTI formation was to serve the masses and make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state on the pattern of the State of Madina based on compassion and justice,” he said. He said the motto of the government was devised in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was personally a pro-poor and hardworking person and believed in across-the-board accountability, justice, rule of law, merit, and transparency.

He said the government did commit some mistakes but achieved record achievements in almost every sphere of life. He also made it clear that the opposition would not be taken along.

Talking about the role of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, he said in the changed international scenario, its responsibility was not only to project the government policies and its achievements, but also to counter enemies’ propaganda.

“Our challenge is to fight on the internal and external fronts. The role of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has become very important as the fifth generation has been launched,” he remarked.

Senator Shibli Faraz said certain forces were bent upon damaging the national economy and spreading dependency and frustration among the masses but the information ministry under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan would counter this propaganda war aggressively.

He said every citizen, every journalist, and every politician would take part in this war and play their due role in achieving victory. “The whole nation is united against the fifth generation war launched by the inimical forces and would repel this aggression above political divides and considerations,” he said.

Speaking after Shibli Faraz, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the Indian government had failed to isolate Pakistan internationally, adding that the "narrative had shifted on Kashmir" and that the people of the occupied territory will get the right to self-determination.

He pointed out how Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his first speech as Pakistan's premier, had highlighted the issue of occupied Kashmir. "You can compare the speeches of Nawaz Sharif and before that, Asif Zardari at the UN and see for yourself how often the word Kashmir was used in their speeches," he said.

Federal Minister of Industries and Production Hammad Azhar said the government brought about a construction package, which was one of its kind and its results were already being felt in the country's economy.

He said the government had cut down smuggling of phones through technological means. "70% of the phones in our country used to be smuggled. We cut that through technological means," he added.

Referring to the Pakistan Steel Mills, among other institutions, Azhar said a lot of sectors had been "kept in the morgue" by previous governments.

"The Pakistan Steel Mills was given Rs35 billion in salaries over the past five years and bailout packages worth Rs80 billion were given as well. It went from recording profits to losses and currently owes Rs236bn," he said.

Speaking about the Financial Action Task Force's action items list, he said Pakistan was put on the grey list during the previous government's tenure. "We were given a 27-point strict action item by a joint group, which wasn't previously given to any other country, in such a short span of time," he said.

Azhar said the government had completed 14 of the 27 action items and out of the remaining 13, 11 had been 'partially completed'. The minister said Pakistan used to be previously criticised at the FATF forum for not doing enough to tackle money laundering and crimes. However, he said during the past one year, the country had received "wide recognition" from the global community.

Dr Sania Nishtar gave a detailed briefing on the Ehsaas programme and its components. Dr Nishtar said the programme, which was launched fifteen months ago, was the country's biggest-ever social safety net.

"Ehsaas programme will be further expanded and its access to the masses will be ensured," she said, adding that a separate programme is being launched in the next fifteen days in all districts of Pakistan under which the children of deserving families will be given scholarships.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday took a clear stance on the recent developments in the Middle East saying that Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had made it clear that Israel would never be recognized until a just and fair solution to the Palestinian problem.

In an interview with a local TV channel, he said we will be answerable to Allah on the Palestine issue and his conscience will never allow accepting Israel without solution to the Palestine issue.

He said Pakistan’s position on Israel was very clear; it will not be accepted, if it is, we will lose our claim on Kashmir as well. Talking about Pakistan’s long time friend China, Imran Khan said Pakistan’s future was tethered to China, which stood by it through thick and thin. He said both countries recognized each other’s importance and were further strengthening mutual ties.

“Unfortunately, western countries are using India against China, he added. He said Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled to visit Pakistan in May this year but his visit was delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. His visit is now expected by the end of the year, Khan said.

Talking about relations with Saudi Arabia, he said Pakistan’s role was to unite and not divide the Muslim world. He dispelled rumors of rifts with Saudi Arabia, saying the country had its own foreign policy and it had helped Pakistan in times of difficulty.

Answering an important question, the prime minister said in the past, the United States used Pakistan to wage war but today, we are partners in the Afghan peace process. He said Kashmir issue was being highlighted all over the world, with it being debated thrice in the United Nations during his tenure.

Imran said he had been struggling all his life ever since he was nine. He said constant struggle makes one immune to ups and downs. He said building a cancer hospital was another struggle but politics was a different beast altogether. Imran said he formed the PTI due to the two-party system and in only two years, he realized the true nature of challenges faced by Pakistan.

He said the state of Medina was unique in that it was the first welfare state, where the law was equal for all. “Pakistan was also built on the foundation of Islamic welfare state and that’s what I am trying to achieve.”

He said the students of 8th and 9th grade will be taught about the life of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in all schools across Pakistan. “If we want Pakistan to progress, we have to raise the poor from poverty,” he said.

Imran said when he took power, the economy was on the verge of bankruptcy and national institutions were decayed. “The system in Pakistan is such that bribery allows the powerful to do whatever they please while small business owners get nothing but hurdles in their way. When the NAB summons the elite, they say the country is endangered because they consider themselves above the law. That is why the elite class has been trying to overthrow the government for the past two years,” he said.

Regarding the country’s energy issues, he said power distribution, controlling theft and line losses alone was no solution to the problem unless the cost of power generation was brought down. “We are stuck in agreements under which we have to pay for electricity, whether it is used or not. If the price of electricity does not go up, the circular debt rises but if price does increase, it is unbearable for the public.”

“The future of Pakistan depends on industry and unless it becomes an industrial country, we can’t move forward. Last year, Rs2,000 billion was paid in debt repayments, while this year another Rs2,700 billion is to be paid. Until we become an industrialized country, these debt repayments will continue to pile up.”

He said the price of electricity generated in government power plants will be brought down and a plan was being devised to improve power plants and distribution. “The government is coming up with a detailed and comprehensive power policy which will be presented to the public in a few weeks,” he added.

Replying to a question about the Punjab chief minister, he said under his watch, no one will be allowed to make illicit money. He said Usman Buzdar had been facing criticism for the past two years and the IB gives him information regarding every single allegation against Buzdar.

He said liquor license case against Usman Buzdar was nonsensical as issuing liquor licenses was the duty of excise department. He said that summoning the chief minister of a province to the NAB had raised unnecessary suspicions.

“If the case had any substance, I would have been the first to say that Buzdar should resign,” he added. He said Usman Buzdar does not usually make media appearances to defend himself and it is unfortunate that he faces criticism from within the party as well.

The prime minister defended Usman Buzdar, saying that the PTI came into power for the first time in Punjab and it lacked experience in the province as well as federal government, some mistakes were bound to happen.

“In Punjab, the bureaucracy was put in place by the Sharif family but now, I believe the right combination has been found pushing Punjab in the right direction,” he said.

Talking about the pandemic situation in Pakistan, the prime minister said coronavirus came to Pakistan at the end of February, during which cases were on the rise in Europe amid complete lockdown.

“Considering the situation in Europe, there were calls to enforce a complete lockdown in Pakistan as well. However, from day one, our consideration was what would happen to the poor as a result of a complete lockdown. We said that our situation was not like that of Europe, but we were severely criticized. Even members of my own party called for a lockdown, but I resisted, he said.

Replying to a question about key PTI leader Jahangir Tareen, the prime minister said he was with him the most during times of struggle, but unfortunately, when the investigation was carried out, his name also came up which he was very sorry to see.

He said a leader must be honest and trustworthy, capable of taking hard decisions. He however said so far Jahangir Tareen had not been proven guilty of any crime and relevant institutions will decide about him based on the findings of the commission.

Talking about the problems of Karachi, the prime minister said its condition was very hurtful to see. “Had there been no ethnic politics during the 80’s, Karachi would have been far more developed. Former MQM chief’s gun culture wreaked havoc in the city, causing a lot of damage to Pakistan as a result, “he said.

He said that cartels around the country were profiteering by hoarding and pushing prices up and down artificially. He said when the Sugar Commission’s forensic inquiry took place, brokers turned out to be front-men and the Sugar Mills Association openly threatened Wajid Zia in a letter.

“The owners got a stay order on the commission’s report and put pressure on us, after which the government had to back down to keep the poor farmers afloat,” he said. Replying to a question on the opposition’s Charter of Economy, the prime minister said the opposition aimed to blackmail him, demanding NRO like the one they received from Musharraf.

The purpose of the opposition’s amendments to the NAB laws tantamounts to giving NRO, which would be a betrayal to the country. He said corruption and a country’s downfall went hand in hand and there was no future if the country backed away from accountability.

“It would have been very easy for me to come to compromise ensuring my government’s smooth running,” he added. Meanwhile, chairing a meeting of the federal cabinet, Prime Minister Imran Khan said the PTI's 24-year-long struggle had not yet ended and much work remained to be done for the uplift of the lesser privileged sections of society.

Upon arrival in the meeting, the prime minister was warmly greeted by the cabinet members who thumped their desks in tribute to him. According to the Prime Minister Office's media wing, the cabinet members highly appreciated the prime minister for his dynamic leadership that successfully countered the internal and external challenges during the last two years of the government.

The prime minister said his priority was to provide relief to the people and expressed hope that an improvement in all sectors of the economy will soon be witnessed as a result of reforms.

"No matter how tough the times, we must never abandon the people," he said, adding: "To think of and work for the lesser privileged is the true test of our faith." Imran said he wanted to put into practice the concept of welfare state of Madina and the concept will be included in the curriculum.

Speaking further about the new educational curriculum, he said at the beginning, it will be prepared for the eighth and ninth grades. The prime minister instructed the cabinet to take immediate steps to reduce inflation.

According to sources privy to the meeting, the cabinet approved the addition of two new members to the inquiry commission formed to probe the petrol crisis. It also approved the immediate enforcement of the Services Act on Pakistan Television employees.