‘Opposition wants to stop govt from serving people’

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan says PM had already said all corrupt are getting united

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to PM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Friday said the opposition through its agitation is trying to stop the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led federal government from delivering for the welfare of the people.

“All those tainted with corruption would now share the same stage in Islamabad. Prime Minister Imran Khan had said the corrupt are getting together,” Firdous said in a reference to the opposition parties’ Azadi march which has reached Islamabad and now demands the PM’s resignation in two days.

Dr Firdous, who was talking to media after her visit to district courts on the direction of Islamabad High Court (IHC), she said the government is ensuring protection of life and property of the citizens; however, it has not erected hurdles in the way of protesters.

“The government has accepted right of the opposition to protest. Those who claimed to be champions of democracy are now trying to dislodge the government through protest,” she added.

She said in the world people were protesting against corruption while here opposition led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is protecting corruption.  She said the government has facilitated Fazl and given him facilities of a five-star hotel at venue of the rally.

“The government would not have provided facilities to the sit-in of Maulana Fazlur Rehman if it was afraid of him. The government has provided him facilities of electricity, water, food and toilets and an ideal and conducive environment so that he could tell people about his agenda, wishes and desires.

She said Fazl is not concerned about Islam but his eyes are on Islamabad. Dr Firdous recalled that before the PTI’s sit-in in 2014, houses of its leaders and workers were raided and they were mistreated. But nothing of that sort happened to the opposition leaders, she said.

The PM’s special assistant said Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is an immature person and he is not concerned about the problems of people. The PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are among the major parties that have announced support for the JUI-F’s Azadi march.

Separately, Minister for Communication and Postal Service Murad Saeed said Fazlur Rehman has never approached the court against what the JUI-F chief calls ‘massive rigging’ in 2018 polls.

“His [Fazlur Rehman’s] only concern is power or chairmanship of Kashmir committee,” Saeed said while talking to a private news channel programme. He said the PTI leadership has raised voice for Kashmiris and highlighted their plight across the world.

Criticizing the role of Fazl as the Kashmir Committee former chief, the minister said the JUI-F chief did nothing for Kashmir cause. To a question about the JUI-F’s Azadi march, he said the political elements gathered in Islamabad are facing court trials due to money laundering, Iqama, and fake accounts cases.

“Fazlur Rehman does not know about his narrative and political agenda. The present government is not worried about the protest demonstration led by the JUI-F,” he added.