Govt to invite Imran Khan to its Independence Day rally
'Only 1 flag will be raised on Aug 14 - Pakistan's flag - as this day is for Pakistanis, not any political party.'
LAHORE:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson Imran Khan will be among many politicians who will be invited to the government's Independence Day rally at D-Chowk in Islamabad on August 14, announced Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid on Saturday.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Rashid said that the PTI chief, the head of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ameer Sirajul Haq, senior vice president of the National Party (NP) Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman are among the politicians who will be invited to the rally.
It is important to mention here that PTI is also planning to hold a ‘tsunami march’ against alleged rigging in the May 11 general elections last year at the same venue on the same day.
The information minister remarked that organising a rally, where the prime minister, ministers as well as the civil society sing the national anthem together, at D-Chowk has been a tradition of the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N).
When PML-N came into power last year, the government made the decision to start this tradition again, which will be implemented, Rashid said.
"This was a proud and beautiful occasion that we used to keep on our most important national day," he added.
Only one flag will be raised on August 14 - Pakistan's flag - as this day is for Pakistanis not for a particular political party, Rashid commented.
Criticising the two political threats to PML-N, the information minister said that both Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri and the PTI chief are "experts of somersaults", adding that the PML-N government has seen both faces of the two political leaders.
'Govt will support army'
Speaking about the government's support for the army to eliminate terrorism in the country, Rashid said that the government will provide all the necessary tools required to the army, adding that it was the government's responsibility to do so.
"Providing a legal umbrella to the army is also the government's responsibility," he added.
The information minister also remarked that people who look for faults in this or take a different meaning to this do not want the army to be successful.
"They don't want Pakistan's mission to succeed," he stated.
He also said that people who were creating doubts against the army will not be successful.
Musharraf deal
Referring to former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's press conference yesterday, Rashid clarified that Gilani did not say Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was taken on board regarding the deal struck between the establishment, the PPP government and the PML-N to give a 'safe passage' to Musharraf.
He remarked that PPP had told PML-N to give indemnity to former president Pervez Musharraf but for the first time in the history of Pakistan a parliament had refused to give indemnity to a former dictator, adding that PML-N was solely responsible for this.
On July 11, Gilani had said that PML-N should abide by the deal rather than take action against him.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson Imran Khan will be among many politicians who will be invited to the government's Independence Day rally at D-Chowk in Islamabad on August 14, announced Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid on Saturday.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Rashid said that the PTI chief, the head of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ameer Sirajul Haq, senior vice president of the National Party (NP) Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman are among the politicians who will be invited to the rally.
It is important to mention here that PTI is also planning to hold a ‘tsunami march’ against alleged rigging in the May 11 general elections last year at the same venue on the same day.
The information minister remarked that organising a rally, where the prime minister, ministers as well as the civil society sing the national anthem together, at D-Chowk has been a tradition of the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N).
When PML-N came into power last year, the government made the decision to start this tradition again, which will be implemented, Rashid said.
"This was a proud and beautiful occasion that we used to keep on our most important national day," he added.
Only one flag will be raised on August 14 - Pakistan's flag - as this day is for Pakistanis not for a particular political party, Rashid commented.
Criticising the two political threats to PML-N, the information minister said that both Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri and the PTI chief are "experts of somersaults", adding that the PML-N government has seen both faces of the two political leaders.
'Govt will support army'
Speaking about the government's support for the army to eliminate terrorism in the country, Rashid said that the government will provide all the necessary tools required to the army, adding that it was the government's responsibility to do so.
"Providing a legal umbrella to the army is also the government's responsibility," he added.
The information minister also remarked that people who look for faults in this or take a different meaning to this do not want the army to be successful.
"They don't want Pakistan's mission to succeed," he stated.
He also said that people who were creating doubts against the army will not be successful.
Musharraf deal
Referring to former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's press conference yesterday, Rashid clarified that Gilani did not say Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was taken on board regarding the deal struck between the establishment, the PPP government and the PML-N to give a 'safe passage' to Musharraf.
He remarked that PPP had told PML-N to give indemnity to former president Pervez Musharraf but for the first time in the history of Pakistan a parliament had refused to give indemnity to a former dictator, adding that PML-N was solely responsible for this.
On July 11, Gilani had said that PML-N should abide by the deal rather than take action against him.