PM Imran rejects all rumours of NRO

PM says govt not part of any deal; committed to depoliticise bureaucracy, says PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has rejected all reports about striking a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) style deal with the opposition and said the government is not part of any such underhand dealing.

“All these news are baseless; there is not going to be any deal [with the beleaguered opposition],” sources quoted the prime minister as saying while chairing a meeting of the allied parties.

The meeting discussed the political situation in the wake of arrest of the ruling party member and Punjab former senior minister Aleem Khan by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

It also took a stock of the opposition’s criticism and the prime minister called for presenting the government’s standpoint to the people in a positive manner.

Ruling party members including the PM have often accused the top leaders of the main opposition parties – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – of using pressure tactics to get an NRO to escape the ongoing graft cases lodged against them.



Issuing a video message after arrest of Aleem Khan on Wednesday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry reiterated his government’s stance  with regard to any such deal.

“Imran Khan fought for 22 years against corruption. This [accountability drive] is not personal enmity. NRO is impossible. We make it clear that during the PTI’s [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] government there will be no NRO, no deal or leniency. Will take the corruption cases to logical end,” Chaudhry had said.

‘Govt committed to depoliticize bureaucracy’

PM Imran Khan claimed that the government is committed to depoliticise and insulate the bureaucracy from all kinds of political pressures as it has been heavily politicised during the past ten years.

“The government is resolved to undertake structural reforms in bureaucracy to make it efficient and responsive to the needs of time. The politicisation of bureaucracy resulted in inefficiency and created fear among bureaucrats,” Khan said while chairing meeting of a task force on Civil Service Reforms.

He said till 70s, Pakistan's civil service was considered as the best in the region and officers from other countries used to get training here. He said the existing government system could not compete with private sector where positions and seniority are determined on merit.



“No system could sustain or deliver in absence of accountability and merit. There is a need to restructure and reform bureaucracy to make it progressive and innovative. There is also need to promote professionalism in every sphere,” he added.

He said the government is committed to protect integrity and security of tenure of bureaucrats so that they could devote their energies for translating political vision into reality. The PM said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government introduced administrative reforms that improved governance there.

Khan said the country would have to attract the best minds as talent is abundant and the existing system does not allow it to flourish. He said the people having good repute and competence are being inducted in the boards of government-run companies and institutions to better serve masses.

The PM said education and health sectors are of utmost importance and steps would have to be taken to avoid wastage of resources. “In this era of specialisation only the skilled people can succeed.”

He told the meeting that the government is introducing a local government model to enable the local representatives play their due role. He observed that the political class also needs to be trained to deal with the changing times.