Amateurish politics: ‘No room for Maula Jat, Nuri Natt politics’

Firdous Ashiq Awan believes PML-N leadership need to give up its old ways.

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Tuesday said there was no room for Maula Jat and Nuri Natt type politics in the country, referring to PML-N leadership.

Speaking at a press conference held at the PPP Media Cell in Sindh, the minister referred to the famous Punjabi film and asked the PML-N leadership to grow up and end their “childish political tactics”. In a veiled attack on Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Awan said he (Sharif) was being childish when he levelled allegations that the President had threatened him.

The federal minister then went on to justify the recently announced civilian awards by President Zardari, which included prominent PPP leaders. Awan believed that the criticism levelled against the party was unjustified as a committee had recommended the names, under set parameters. Furthermore, she believed that such criticism would also sting those personalities who had rendered tremendous services in their particular fields.

Speaking in detail about the awards, Awan added that Interior Minister Rehman Malik deserved the recognition as he had an integral role in curbing terrorism in the country, adding that he was also responsible for the reconciliation between MQM and PPP.

Talking about the award given to presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar, Awan believed that it was not advisable for the media to criticise his nomination as he was part of the media fraternity.

However, she refused to comment on the award given to a controversial police officer of Karachi, Chaudhry Aslam, who has allegedly been involved in extra-judicial killings and government servant Nargis Sethi, saying “it would require at least 10 hours  for her to justify each and every award”.

The information minister said that the people of southern Punjab were suffering from an acute sense of deprivation, adding that the PPP had taken that into consideration and formed a committee to look into the possible options of creating a new province.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2011.