PM signals readiness to forgive and forget

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif held out an olive branch on Monday to his political foes, saying that all differences could be forgotten for the sake of national interest but stressed that one had to swallow personal ego because it always took two to tango.

At a press conference in the federal capital, the prime minister, however, fired a broadside against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, holding him responsible for all the crises facing the country today. He called Imran a liar, who used all his energies to crush the Sharif family, and not for the public good.

The prime minister rejected outright the notion that the country faced an imminent default, saying that the government was working day and night to handle the economy and providing relief and support to the people, particularly those affected by the recent floods.

At the presser, the prime minister was asked about the talks with the PTI. “All differences can be forgotten for the sake of national interest. We can take a hundred steps forward for the prosperity of the country,” the prime minister replied.

However, he continued, “What kind of talks can be held with an egoistic and liar, who even defames the army… I want to tell the people that this person is a fraud having nothing to do with the nation’s future. We have not come in the government to accept everything they say. For Pakistan, you have to shun your ego.”

The prime minister told reporters that the government inherited a shaken economy when it came to power in April this year. “We had to beseech to the IMF [International Monetary Fund], which was not ready to trust Pakistan because of the previous [PTI] regime’s breach of commitments,” he continued.

Imran artificially held back petrol prices hike and by passing the burden of oil price surge to the masses, the incumbent government sacrificed its politics in the interest of the state,” he added. “We raised prices out of compulsion; we did not have the resources. We would surely pass on the relief, it some cushion is found.”

When asked as to who was responsible for the current situation in Pakistan, the prime minister replied that all the civilian and martial law regimes were responsible. For now, he added. “Every day there is speculation that Pakistan will default. Pakistan will not default, you wanted Pakistan to become Sri Lanka, you have no shame?”

However, he admitted that challenges still remained. “With the onset of winter, a huge challenge is still ahead. Don’t know where the money will come from [to support the reconstruction],” he added. So far, he said, the government had disbursed Rs470 billion among flood victims.

Responding to another question about Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s meeting with President Dr Arif Alvi, the prime minister revealed that, in fact, the president had expressed his desire to meet Dar, adding: “The finance minister met [the president] with my permission.”

Also read: Daily Mail’s apology to PM ‘is an apology to nation’

Newspaper apology

Prime Minister Shehbaz said that the unconditional apology from the British publication Daily Mail was a vindication of the 220 million Pakistanis, which also thwarted an anti-state conspiracy hatched by Imran Khan and his cronies.

“Finally, after three years, they [Daily Mail] tendered an apology, not to me but all of you. It was an apology to 220 million Pakistanis, and to millions of those mothers and children who were benefiting from the DfID [Department for International Development] projects to support their food and health,” he said.

Apprising the media of the allegations levelled by the previous government through the Daily Mail article, Shahbaz said that the onslaught was only meant to defame him, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

“He [Imran Khan] was so callous, he never thought that this would not only malign Nawaz Sharif or Shehbaz Sharif but would rather hurt Pakistan’s reputation,” he remarked. “Consequently, Pakistan was mocked and a message was conveyed that Pakistan should not be given any aid or grant,” he added.

He told reporters that despite the passage of three years, Shahzad Akbar [former prime minister Imran Khan’s accountability czar] failed to produce documents to substantiate his allegations, which also led to his [Shehbaz Sharif’s] vindication by the NCA [National Crime Agency].

The prime minister said by selling a specially-designed watch inscribed with the Holy Kaaba’s model, gifted by the Saudi crown prince, Imran Khan had committed the “cheapest act”. He called for investigation to determine how Imran destroyed the economy and strained Pakistan’s ties with brotherly countries.

Shehbaz recalled that during the tenure of the previous government, Imran Khan got arrested even women politicians like Maryam Nawaz and Faryal Talpur. On the other hand, he gave an NRO [amnesty] to his own sister who had allegedly committed misdeclaration.

Imran Khan was also ungrateful to his benefactor, former chief of army staff Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, he said, adding that the new army chief was a professional soldier with a shining career. He hoped that Gen Asim Munir would strengthen the institution and serve the country.

Meanwhile, commenting on Sunday’s escalation on the Chaman border, Shahbaz said he would summon a meeting to review the situation. “The killing of the innocent people of Pakistan has been condemned. The government demands of the Afghan government to prevent such incidents which could hurt the bilateral ties.”

Speaking about PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s return to the country, Shehbaz said that three times former prime minister has millions of followers in Pakistan, and he will be back to the country very soon.

(With input from APP)