PM unfazed by Imran’s threat to ‘lock down’ Islamabad

Nawaz says ruling party has introduced a new culture of political tolerance in the country

BAKU: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is apparently unperturbed by the threat of his political arch-nemesis to ‘lock down’ the federal capital on October 30. “Our political rivals want to shut down Islamabad, but we desire to keep it open,” Sharif said in an informal chat with media persons in the capital of Azerbaijan.

“We will make Pakistan move forward on the road to progress and prosperity despite certain elements’ plans to shut the country,” he said while referring to Imran Khan, who has threatened to paralyse Islamabad in his campaign to hold the ruling Sharif family for their alleged financial corruption.



Nawaz said the ruling party has introduced a new culture of political tolerance in the country as it respected mandate of every party. “The PPP formed a government in Sindh and we respected it. Similarly, we have respected the MQM as an opposition party. Even unethical language is used in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where we also respected the public mandate,” he added.

With reference to the Kashmir issue, the premier said Pakistan offered India dialogue on all outstanding issues umpteen times but New Delhi did not reciprocate. “If India is serious in resolving the issues, then Pakistan will talk to it,” he added. “War is not the solution to any issue.”

Kashmir is the main cause of unrest in South Asia, and India must honour its commitment under the UN Security Council resolutions to resolve the dispute through a plebiscite, he added. “Pakistan is committed to a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue as it is a peace-loving nation.”

The premier regretted India’s ‘baseless allegations’ against Islamabad following the September 18 attack on an Indian military base in the Uri area of disputed Kashmir region. Within six hours of the attack, India accused Pakistan, while no infiltration had taken place from Pakistani side of the Line of Control (LoC), he added.

To a query, he replied that he was deeply moved by the sentiments of the father of Burhan Wani, a freedom fighter, whose death on July sparked violent protests in Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK).

To a question, the prime minister said work on several energy projects was under way throughout the country. “About 10,000 MW power would be added to the national grid by end of the government’s term in 2018, bringing the cost of electricity further down, besides helping to overcome the power shortages,” he claimed.



He said within one year, there was a marked decline in the power outages and price of electricity. “The industry is now getting uninterrupted power supply,” Nawaz added.

To another question, the prime minister said the multibillion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be completed on a fast-track basis. “CPEC will be a harbinger of fast-track development in the country as a number of energy, infrastructure and power projects are being completed throughout its length and breadth,” he said.

Earlier, Nawaz met Azerbaijan Milli Majlis speaker Ogtay Asadov during his visit to the parliament in Baku on Saturday. Speaking on the occasion, Nawaz said Indian forces’ recent atrocities in occupied Kashmir had claimed lives of 112 people while blinding over two hundred people.

Nawaz said Pakistan values Azerbijan’s support for the Kashmir cause.  “The two countries’ mutual support on Kashmir and Nagorno Karabakh reflects strong bilateral relationship,” he said. He said democracy is functional in both the countries and inter-parliamentary and leadership level exchanges of visits will enhance cooperation in economic, defence and other sectors.

Later, the prime minister left for Islamabad on culmination of his three-day visit to Azerbaijan.      Azerbaijan Deputy Prime Minister Ali Akhmedov saw off the prime minister and his delegation at the airport.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2016.