Staff Report
Islamabad: Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad commended the people of Lahore for the “responsibility” they showed in not showing up for the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally and dared the opposition to hand in their en masse resignations. “You [are] welcome please. Do it. Do it as quick as possible,” he said on Monday while talking to media persons, adding that the country would be taken forward under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the democratically elected government. Prime Minister Imran Khan will never give NRO to the corrupt leaders, he said but added that the incumbent government is ready to hold discussions on all matters except for the corruption cases filed against the opposition. “We are an elected, democratic government and, under the leadership of Imran Khan, we will take this country forward. We don’t want to close the doors for dialogue. [The opposition] says it does not want to talk to Imran. Tell us who you wish to speak to so that we can arrange it,” he said.
He added that the premier was willing to lose his seat, but would not give an NRO to the opposition. Rasheed said that those that lose the elections develop “mental issues”. Commenting on the Lahore jalsa, he said, “if children from madrassahs did not show up for yesterday’s rally, [the PDM] would have had to face a lot of disappointment”. The interior minister said that the opposition alliance saw the death of their narrative in the same place they made “tall claims”. Regretting the language being used by Nawaz Sharif against the state institutions, the Interior Minister said we are proud of our armed forces which have given immense sacrifices for the security and defence of the country. Rasheed stated that the opposition had not said “anything new” at the Lahore rally. However, commenting on the speech made by Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mahmood Achakzai, the minister said that the remarks were “irresponsible”. The interior minister expressed the commitment to make efforts towards bringing improvement in the law and order situation in the country. He said the performance of Islamabad police will be further improved.
Moreover, Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday lashed out at the opposition, questioning who exactly they wished to speak to if not Prime Minister Imran Khan. “We are an elected, democratic government and, under the leadership of Imran Khan, we will take this country forward. We don’t want to close the doors for dialogue. [The opposition] says it does not want to talk to Imran. Tell us who you wish to speak to so that we can arrange it,” he said while speaking to the media in Islamabad.
The minister was referring to statements made by opposition leaders at the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) much-hyped power show at Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore a day earlier. During Sunday’s rally, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had said “the time for dialogue has passed, now there will be a long march”. PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz had also questioned PM Imran’s offer for dialogue through Parliament, asking who was behind the operations of the House.
“The responsibility shown by the people of Lahore if children from madrassahs did not show up for yesterday’s rally, [the opposition] would have had to face a lot of disappointment,” the interior minister said. “They had to face the death of their politics at the same place they used to make tall claims.” Commenting on the opposition’s decision to submit leaves from parliament en masse, Ahmed simply replied: “You are welcome please. Do it. Do it as quick as possible.
“The opposition has also said that it will March to Islamabad. Please come. Islamabad is also yours we will do whatever the law and the Constitution allows us to do.” Ahmed stated that the opposition had not said “anything new” at the Lahore rally. However, commenting on the speech made by PkMAP chief Mahmood Achakzai, the minister said that the remarks were “irresponsible”.
“All those that lose elections develop mental health issues,” he said. The minister maintained that the opposition was staging rallies only to protect its looted wealth. “They are spending billions on staging rallies. “Imran Khan has explicitly said he will leave his seat but will not give the opposition an NRO. He directed me to say this during the press conference [that] the sun can rise from the West and set in the East but he will not give them an NRO.”
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad later in the day, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said the narrative of the PML-N and of former premier Nawaz Sharif no longer “has currency”. “It cannot be sold in Punjab or Pakistan,” he said, adding that this was the reason that the PDM’s Lahore rally was a flop. “Listen to Maryam’s speech from yesterday. All she talked about was herself, her father, her uncle, her brother, said Imran Khan is very bad and then the speech ended,” he said, adding that there was “no agenda”. He said that those in Parliament needed to review their current strategy. “Only a fool would consider it a weakness when the government talks about dialogue. He added that PM Imran has called Parliament an excellent forum for talks.
“PM Imran and the government are not going anywhere and you cannot send them away. Despite this we want the doors for dialogue to remain open,” he said. However, the minister made it clear that the opposition will not be given relief when it came to their corruption cases.
