Bureau Report
KARACHI: Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Sunday announced to reopen Swiss cases against Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari.
“Broadsheet inquiry commission has recommended reopening the Swiss cases,” Sheikh Rasheed said while addressing a presser in Karachi. He said the past government gave away $60 million in the Swiss cases. Commenting on the Daska By-poll results, Sheikh Rasheed termed it as a victory of the democracy. The number of votes gained by PTI’s candidate Asjad Malhi shows that the narrative of PM Imran Khan is still popular among the masses, he maintained.
“We have won even after losing the polls as Malhi gained bagged more votes as compared to past.”
The interior minister said the peaceful conduct of the Daska by-election should be appreciated.
On the sugar scandal probe, Sheikh Rasheed said a campaign against Shahzad Akbar is being run, though the probing agency, FIA is under my command, he added.
He said the premier is fighting the mafias in the country to ensure the provision of relief to the general public. 42 per cent of the fencing work along the Pak-Iran border has been completed and Insha Allah the fencing will be completed by June 30, this year, he went to say.
Moreover, Federal Minister for Interior, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said that NADRA and Passport Offices would be opened in each Tehsil to facilitate the common people in the country.
He expressed such views while addressing the press conference held here at local hotel on Sunday.
The validity of passport expiry had been increased to 10 years and its fee had also been reduced to half, he recounted, adding that process of issuance of E-Passports in the country would commence from June. We are going to bring reforms in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the federal minister told, saying that the FIA officers who had been enjoying the same positions for years would be replaced.
The Minister said that the government was taking stern actions against many mafias including money launderers and sugar mafia.
The entire visa process had been made online and about 300,000 visas had been issued while only 12000 visas applications were rejected, he informed, articulating that citizens of 192 countries could get Pakistani visa within 30 days time linked with the clearance from any relevant agency of the country.
The national economy was strengthening as the dollar price had reduced to lowest level, the federal minister added, telling that the Ramadan package had been announced to provide relief to the underprivileged segment of the society. No talks would be held with India until India reinstates Article 370 of its constitution which guaranteed a semi-autonomous status for Indian Occupied Kashmir, the minister told.
Commenting on the Daska elections’ results, federal minister termed it as a victory of the democracy, adding that the number of votes gained by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s candidate Asjad Malhi demonstrates that the narrative of PM Imran Khan is still popular among the masses. We have won even after losing the polls as Malhi gained bagged more votes as compared to past, he maintained. The peaceful conduct of the Daska by-election should be appreciated.
The 42 per cent of the fencing work along the Pak-Iran border has been completed, while the fencing along Pak-Afghan border will be completed by June, this year, he told. Replying to a question, the minister told that opposition was not a challenge for premier Imran Khan but the real challenge for him was to control the inflation, reaffirming that the Prime Minister Imran Khan is fighting the mafias in the country to ensure the provision of relief to the general public. Prime Minister Imran Khan was committed to control the inflation.
To another question, he replied that Broadsheet inquiry commission has recommended reopening the Swiss cases, Sheikh Rasheed said, adding the past government gave away $60 million in the Swiss cases. Besides, the government would take all the measure to control the inflation and will not allow anyone to loot the poor during the Razmzan, Shaikh Rasheed told.
He informed media persons that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar was looking after the matters relating to sugar, wheat and other things, adding that a campaign against him (Shahzad Akbar) is being run.
