Sh Rashid says…: My prediction about Shehbaz, Maryam parting ways proved true

RAWALPINDI: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad Thursday said his prediction about Sharif family members Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz parting ways politically had proven true.

“You see they are poles apart now,” claimed while talking to the media here.

The interior minister urged the opposition parties to sit with the government to introduce electoral reforms for transparent elections in future. To a question, the minister said the hearing of Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) case had been completed and the committee formed to review their cases had prepared its report, which would be presented in the cabinet meeting soon. About Nullah Lai project, the minister said the Punjab government had allocated Rs55 billion and efforts would be made to kick off the construction work on the project this year. Sh Rashid said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would form government in Azad Kashmir after elections in AJK. He said Imran Khan was going to attend public meetings in five cities of AJK including Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot.

To a question, he said the government succeeded in getting passed the financial year 2021-22 budget with majority. Due to prudent policies and hectic efforts made by the PTI government, 4% growth rate was recorded in the country which was a great achievement under current circumstances, he added. He reiterated the government’s resolve that nobody would be allowed to use Pakistan’s soil against any country. He said PM Imran Khan had given a clear policy that no one would be allowed at any cost to use Pakistan’s soil against any country. “We will never allow anybody to use its space or air bases for launching an attack in Afghanistan,” he added.

“We want good relations with Afghanistan and would support a reconciliation process to bring peace in Afghanistan," he said adding, Pakistan was making earnest efforts and playing a positive role to bring peace in Afghanistan. He said that fencing along the Afghan border would be completed within two months as 85 per cent work had been completed already. He said 46 per cent fencing work on the Iranian border had also been completed and the remaining work would be completed within shortest possible time frame. The law-enforcement agencies of Pakistan are fully capable to foil nefarious designs of the enemies of country, he said, adding that Pakistan had been making sincere efforts for peace in Afghanistan. Sh Rashid said Pakistan wanted to have good relations with all the countries including America, Europe and India. However, he said, India would have to give right to self-determination to the oppressed Kashmiris. Condemning the Indian home ministry for baseless allegation of Pakistan’s role in a drone attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), the minister said India wanted to hide its failure in addressing the Covid-19 challenge through such allegations. —APP