Govt, national institutions on same page: Rashid

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Thursday said that the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan would steer the country out of crises and see it on the path of progress and development as all national institutions were on the same page.

Addressing a news conference at the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Regional Office, he said he held a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in which political matters including reservations of estranged PTI leader Jahangir Tareen were discussed. “I urged the chief minister to address the genuine reservations of Tareen and other party members.”

He said that it was expected that PML-Q President Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan would take oath as an MPA on May 24, adding that Tareen's supporters would also vote for approval of the Punjab budget, to be presented by the ruling PTI.

To a query, he said that Senator Syed Ali Zafar should submit the report on whether the FIA was subjecting

Tareen to fair, unbiased and non-discriminatory treatment in the cases registered against him.

To another question, the minister said that Maryam Nawaz had caused severe damage to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz as a clear political rift or differences could be seen within the party, adding that PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif tried to flee the country in the wee hours to escape the Hudabiya case, but the government did not allow him to go abroad.

The interior ministry, after approval of the federal cabinet, had put Shehbaz’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL), and he could file an appeal within 15 days with the interior ministry for exclusion of his name, he added.

About Maryam, Rashid said she had claimed that she would not leave the country, therefore, there was no question of inclusion or exclusion of her name in the ECL list.

He said that the opposition alliance –the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – had been exposed, and the opposition does not pose any threat to the government. “Prime Minister Imran Khan is making efforts day and night to put the country on the road to progress and prosperity, besides eliminating the mafias, including sugar, to provide relief to the people.”

About the FIA’s performance, the minister said that there was a need to bring further improvement in the agency as its performance was up to the mark, adding that officials posted at same positions for 18 to 20 years would be transferred.

He stressed the importance of FIA, saying that the agency's cyber crime wing should be made more effective and efficient to redress the complaints at the earliest.

The minister also visited various sections of the FIA Regional Office earlier, where the officials briefed him about the progress on various ongoing cases and functions of the agency.