Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry Wednesday said the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) government did not believe in victimization of the political opponents, adding that only the ‘Motu Gang’ was crying foul over the ongoing accountability process.
“Whenever the process of accountability starts against the looters and plunderers, the opposition makes hue and cry claiming that they were being victimized and that the democracy was in danger,” he told reporters outside the Parliament House. “However, no hue and cry can hinder the ongoing accountability process in the country and across the board accountability process will continue,” he said, adding that there was no involvement from the government in the process of accountability. Fawad reminded that the cases of accountability being prosecuted now in the courts were registered during the PML-N tenure and the NAB chief as well as prosecutors were appointed by the PML-N and the PPP through mutual consultations. The PTI has nothing to do with it, he added.
The minister said he had submitted a resolution in the National Assembly Secretariat calling for formation of a parliamentary panel to investigate the financial wrongdoings during the past 10 years.
Criticizing the double standards of the opposition, he said that when the PTI wins, they claim that the elections are rigged but if they win they call it free and fair. “Government is ready to hold debate on the process of accountability and if there are weaknesses in the law, it can be amended but this can happen only if it is discussed in the parliament,” he said.
Fawad said National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser created history by issuing production order of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif during remand, as this has not been the tradition in the past. The government also did not oppose the idea of Shehbaz Sharif attending the National Assembly session, he said.
He said on Tuesday Asif Zardari appeared in a Karachi court, Shehbaz Sharif in a Lahore court and Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad. The reason is that they ruled the country for past 10 years, he said, and advised the PML-N not to talk about fairness in accountability as they had appointed a crony – Saifur Rehman – as chairman of the then accountability commission and Benazir Bhutto suffered the worst victimization at his hands. He said during past five years, not even a single case was registered against opposition parties in KP, however 32 cases were registered against PTI Chairman Imran Khan in Punjab and Islamabad. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan has rightly said that there were about 50 persons who were worried over the ongoing accountability.
Fawad strongly condemned the attitude of PML-N during the Punjab Assembly session on Tuesday and supported the decision of the speaker to suspend some of the members. He said now that the noose of law was being tightened, they are crying but there should be no letup in the process. He said due to the loot and plunder during the past 10 years, almost all national institutions like PIA, Pakistan Steel Mills, Radio Pakistan, PTV, power and gas sectors were suffering huge losses.
To a question about rising inflation, the minister said there was no justification of increasing prices of daily use items as the PTI government has reduced prices of diesel and petrol and the increase in gas prices does not apply on 80 per cent of the population. He said the prime minister has issued directives to the provinces to take measures to improve price control mechanism so that the profiteers could not fleece the consumers.
About the government initiatives, he said the government has launched a mega housing project through which poorer segments of the society would be able to own houses. The government has introduced health card and protected the low income groups from the increase in gas tariff. He said it was only the PTI regime that prioritized water, air and environment in its manifesto.
Published in Daily Times, October 18th 2018.
