APC served enemies’ purposes: claim ministers

Ask opposition to refrain from dragging state institutions into politics

A day after an all-parties conference (APC) demanded Prime Minister Imran Khan’s resignation while announcing to launch a protest movement against the PTI government, key members of Imran’s cabinet declared that the opposition’s confab served the purpose of the country’s enemies.

“Governments come and go, but the opposition is in fact playing to the tunes of those who desire ill for the country,” said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at a news conference on Monday.

Qureshi was flanked by Minister for Information Shibli Faraz, Minister for Planning Asad Umer and Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry.

Describing the APC as disappointing, he asked the opposition parties to "refrain from dragging state institutions into politics on the behest of Pakistan's enemies".

“The opposition openly targeted the state institutions, including the army, the judiciary and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) while disregarding the national interests.

“The opposition attacked an institution that always remained vigilant for defending the country’s sovereignty and laid immense sacrifices.  The main motive behind the APC was the opposition’s failed attempt to get NAB rolled back,” he said.

He said for the opposition, rolling back NAB will be like a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

The NRO was introduced by former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf in a bid to give concessions primarily to politicians booked in various cases of corruption.

“After their failure to pressure Prime Minister Imran Khan, the opposition called the APC. The government will, however, not succumb to any pressure,” he added.

Minister for Information Shibli Faraz said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is not doing a service to democracy and Pakistan by trying to create chaos and controversy and discrediting the present political setup which he claimed to own.

Convicted premier Nawaz Sharif, who has been in London since November 2019, spoke at the APC and criticized the military establishment for imposing the PTI government on the country.

“Nawaz Sharif should not make the elections and democracy controversial as the country has done many favours to him,” he added. He said Nawaz Sharif in his speech tried to create doubts about the 2018 general election but the facts and figures negated his claim.

“Nawaz was elected prime minister thrice but he considers only those elections fair in which he emerged victorious. In fact, he is not used to free and fair elections. He is angry because he could not get the required number of seats in the 2018 election to form a government,” Shibli added.

Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said opposition parties just wanted relaxation in the corruption cases, being faced by their leaders in different courts, and the permission to send ‘Maryam Bibi’ [daughter of Nawaz Sharif) to London.

In the past, Fawad said, Nawaz had been getting unprecedented relief from courts in different cases, but now when his corruption had fully exposed, he is trying to malign state institutions.

Minister for Planning Asad Umar said the Indian media is celebrating Nawaz Sharif's speech against state institutions – including the Pakistan Army and NAB.

“The APC was given an extraordinary coverage by the Indian media, which manifests the fact that the enemy states are disturbed by Pakistan's journey towards economic and political stability,” he said.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP