Daily Times

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Monday said that there was a sheer power struggle within the ranks of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that may lead to its disintegration or creation of a forward block.

Addressing a press conference here, he said that top PTI leaders like Gohar Khan and Sher Afzal Khan were taking contradictory stances on different issues.

He regretted the “childish attitude” put up by the PTI which was a national party.

Tarar advised the PTI leaders to shun its internal politics and play its due role in strengthening the economy.

Lambasting the PTI, he said sometimes they wrote a letter to the IMF, but sometimes asked the European Union to investigate the election process in Pakistan. If they had any complaint, they should knock the door of the Election Commission of Pakistan or Election Tribunals, he said.

He said once they were accusing the US of toppling the PTI government, now they had hired lobbying firms in the United States. The minister said that American diplomat Donald Lu had called the PTI founder as a “certified liar”.

He urged the PTI leaders to join mainstream politics and contribute to the nation building process. “We need to create unity and consensus at the national political scenario”, he opined. The minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the government was fully committed to the agenda of economic reforms.

He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was holding meetings on the economy on a daily basis as the government’s focus was on solving the people’s problems. “We are focusing on measures like privatization, reduction of government expenditure, tax reforms, digitization of FBR, expansion of tax net and reduction of tax burden on the poor segments of the society.”

He said that for the first time in the history, taxpayers would be honored with awards in the coming days.

“The government of Pakistan will, for the first time, give awards to businessmen who increase the tax volume,” he remarked. He said that in this regard, there would be a formal ceremony at the Prime Minister’s House soon. The process of economic reforms is continued at a rapid pace, he added. Tarar said that to provide relief to the people during Ramazan, the Prime Minister had assigned the duties of ministers across the country. He said yesterday and today also federal ministers visited the utility stores and reviewed the arrangements to ensure relief to the masses.

He said that a road map was being made and all measures were being taken to improve the country’s economy as the focus of the PM was on economic reforms.

Besides economic revival, he told that eradication of terrorism from the country was also the top priority of the incumbent regime. He said that in the past, the PML-N government under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif established peace and now peace would be established under the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif.

Paying homage to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country, he said, “in the war against terrorism, we have full confidence in the security forces, armed forces and police and law enforcement agencies”, he maintained. He said Gwadar Port Authority was attacked and responsibility for this attack was accepted by the Balochistan Liberation Army. The terrorist Karim Jan killed during the attack on the Gwadar Port Authority was included in the missing persons list, the minister added and said, when Karim Jan’s body was handed over to the heirs, it transpired that he was declared a missing person from August 2022, he noted.

The minister said that it was very alarming that the BLA terrorist was involved in the Gwadar Port Authority attack, but the campaign was being conducted for two years by dubbing him as a missing person. He said that these were very sensitive matters, adding that Gwadar was a commercial hub, part of CPEC, and attack on it was an attack on the national economy. The minister assured that the government would play its full role for establishing peace in the country.

To a query, the minister said the Governor Punjab had decided on the matter related to the fee of Ahad Cheema’s children in accordance with the law.

On the occasion, he underlined the need for promoting inter-faith harmony in the country by discouraging sectarianism. The minister said that he had directed the officers concerned to ensure that more funds should be allocated in the next financial budget for the health insurance programme of journalists and media workers. “It is our responsibility to take initiative for journalists’ welfare and let me assure you that the programme will continue in the coming years,” he added. He said that Xinhua News Agency had the privilege to conduct the first interview of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with any foreign news agency. The felicitation messages Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received upon his re-election from China reflected the cordial and all-weather friendship between the two countries, he said, adding the government was giving due focus on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, the minister expressed.

To another query, he said the Interior Minister was fully focusing on repatriation of the illegal immigrants to their respective countries.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wanted to pass on maximum relief to the lower middle class and all-efforts are underway in this regard, he added.

He said that the Finance Minister would soon have interaction with the media to brief them on economic developments.

The minister said that economic reforms would be introduced to stabilize the economy and provide relief to all segments of the society. The inflation will eventually be overcome by reducing the government’s expenditures and increasing tax collection, he said.