Govt officials slam opp for their past policies

‘Who laid the foundation of inflation?’ asks Qureshi

ISLAMABAD:

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill on Sunday took the opposition to task over their past policies when they were in power.

Qureshi, while addressing a public gathering in Multan, said that when the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came to power in 2018, it faced a $20 billion deficit due to the “ill-conceived policies” of the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, and had to take difficult decisions and foreign assistance to overcome it.

He also highlighted how the country was suffering the consequences of the expensive power agreements the PML-N had signed during its term.

Regarding inflation, he asked, “Who laid the foundation of inflation?” He also challenged the PML-N leaders to have a live television debate with the government over these issues.

He also mentioned that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had declared Rana Shamim’s affidavit and audio tape to be fake as was with PML-N’s Qatari letter. He claimed that it was PML-N’s motto to attack judiciary and other institutions.

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He added that the people now know about the “true image” of these opposition parties.

Separately, Habib, while speaking to Pakistan Television (PTV), said that the premier has made it clear that he would not shake hands with “mafias”, nor would the corrupt be given any amnesty under a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

He said that the opposition should support the government in improving the system rather than just offer criticism.

Responding to a question, he said that PML-N’s politics was based on “lies”. He highlighted how party’s Vice President Maryam Nawaz had denied owning any property but was found to be the true owner of London flats.

Moreover, in a tweet, Dr Gill said that Prime Minister Imran has sent a clear message to the opposition that he would recover national wealth which was “plundered and looted” by the political leadership.

He categorically stated that the government will not give amnesty under any NRO nor would it offer it any deal.

Government’s initiatives:

Qureshi said that the ruling party was trying to resolve the masses’ problems and was confident that it would return to power in 2023.

He highlighted how the government had tackled issues, such as the Pulwama incident, and how it was handling the coronavirus situation.

Regarding Pakistan’s foreign policy, he said that the government awakened the world’s conscience on Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir. He also mentioned how Prime Minister Imran Khan raised awareness on Islamophobia.

“Today, the whole world is appreciating Pakistan’s successful foreign policy,” he added.

The federal minister also pointed out how Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan helped prevent a humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country.

In his interview, Habib said that the government was going to bring changes in the judicial system in the days to come. He also said that the premier has informed the people of government’s development initiatives, offering them a ray of hope.

He said that inflation was a global phenomenon due to Covid-19, but Pakistan’s economy would improve in the coming days. (With input from APP)