-Rebut opposition’s criticism
-Blame Nawaz for creating unnecessary controversy
-Say opposition aims to pressurize govt for NROs
-Declare Opponents of the past joined hands against govt
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Top ministers in the federal cabinet, Shibli Faraz, Asad Umar, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and Fawad Chaudhry, on Monday responded to the criticism against the incumbent government and state institutions from the platform of the opposition-led All Parties Conference (APC).
Information Minister Shibli Faraz said that they allowed the broadcast of speeches from opposition leaders on the orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan and further clarified that Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s live speech was censored by PPP, not the government.
He blamed Nawaz Sharif for creating unnecessary controversy around the polls in 2018 and said that he did not raise any reservations over the polling processes which led him to power thrice in the country.
Shibli Faraz said that the PTI lost 16 constituencies with a close margin and could have attained a simple majority in the Parliament if they have won them. “Should we term these losses as rigging,” he asked.
“Any election which culminates on PML-N’s loss is a rigged election,” he taunted and further asked as to why they don’t work on electoral reforms if they have issues over the outcome of the elections in the country.
He further said that Nawaz Sharif looked healthy during his live address and asked him to refrain from creating controversy around the polls and democracy in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar said that the prime minister had correctly identified that it is not politics but the 20-year looted money which is at stake for the opposition leaders due to the policies of the incumbent government.
“Opponents of the past have joined hands,” he said and lamented that the opposition parties intentionally opposed the FATF related bills to blackmail the government.
Asad Umar said that the enemies of the country have realized that Pakistan is on track towards progress and were trying to create hindrances in the path. He, however, said that both civil and military leadership is working together to resolve the issues through coordinated efforts.
He said that Nawaz Sharif is carrying out personal attacks against the armed forces and these remarks were the top news of the mainstream Indian media. “They criticize the NAB, whose chairman is being nominated by both PPP and PML-N,” he said.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi also seconded him and said that joy was felt in India over the speech of Nawaz Sharif, who along with other opposition leaders criticized every state institution they feel threatened with during the APC.
He said that the armed forces had sacrificed their lives for safeguarding the country.
The foreign minister further said that opposition is raising hue and cry after they have realized that they would not be able to get an NRO this time.
“They will not get their desired amendments in NAB law,” he said adding that yesterday’s conference was aimed at overthrowing the institution of NAB.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi also rejected criticism from the APC platform over the government’s policy on Kashmir and Afghanistan and said that for the first time Pakistan is being lauded for highlighting the Kashmir issue at international platforms and playing a positive role in the Afghan peace process.
Meanwhile, Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, speaking to a local news programmer, said he believes that the All Parties Conference (APC) is a failure and that Nawaz Sharif will now seek asylum abroad.
Rashid added that former prime minister Nawaz has shut all doors for his return to Pakistan after his address at the moot.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader had spoken against the current government and prime minister, calling it a failure of democracy.
Speaking to the APC via video-link from London, Nawaz’s address centred on criticising the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, and he spoke on the “poor state” of Pakistan’s economy, “deteriorating” international relations, “muzzling” of media and “corruption within the PTI”.
“This is the principle of democracy in the world: when democracy is hit, the entire democratic system becomes meaningless,” he had said. Nawaz went on to comment that the root cause of problems being faced was that the country had been deprived of true democracy.
“The Constitution says that the opinion of people should be respected, which is the real spirit of democracy,” he lamented.
“Pakistan has been constantly deprived of a democratic system […] When the vote is dishonoured, the entire democratic system becomes meaningless. When it is decided before the election process as to who will win and who will lose, then it can be guessed how the public is betrayed and how the public’s mandate is stolen,” he added.
Nawaz further alleged the government has enforced a “martial law”.
However, Sheikh Rashid questioned Nawaz’s credibility as he spoke against the establishment, noting that Nawaz “was brought to power by the former military ruler General Ziaul Haq”, and added he believes that “the PML-N supremo will now take political asylum in the UK”.
Similarly, the federal minister said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has clearly stated that the military has no interest in administrative matters and has told the political leaders to arrange the Gilgit-Baltistan elections on their own.
Sheikh Rashid said a call made by Maulana Fazlur Rehman for resignations from the assemblies was muted by the APC itself.
“The expressions on the faces of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Shehbaz Sharif at the APC were worth watching,” he remarked.
