Progress in Pakistan due to institutional harmony: Rashid

Information minister says army chief visited the US in line with govt policy

LAHORE: Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid on Saturday said the country has achieved current progress because of harmony among political forces and state institutions.

Addressing a ‘Meet the Press’ programme here at the Lahore Press Club, he said all foreign visits undertaken by the army chief were as per government policy.

He added that General Raheel Sharif’s visit to the US after the one undertaken by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was to further advance the government’s point of view on military matters and get it implemented from his other counterpart.

To a query, Rashid said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had allowed Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to form government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after the 2013 general elections although the latter did not enjoy majority in the provincial assembly.

Similarly nationalists were asked to lead government in Balochistan, he said adding all that was the outcome of harmony among the political leadership and the heads of national institutions had also played their due part in that regard.

“Today’s Pakistan was far safer and peaceful than that of 2013 because political harmony and maturity helped take better decisions [in national interest],” he added.

Replying to a question, the minister said the ruling Indian party had been rightly punished by the masses for its intolerance and narrow-mindedness as Prime Minister Modi was booed by Indian crowds during his foreign visits. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2015.