Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal has said that Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) government had put the country on the path of development and time would prove that its leadership was punished for starting China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and improving the national economy.

Talking to a private news channel, the minister said the government had ended energy crisis, reduced terrorism, improved national economy, and restored peace across the country, including the business hub of Karachi.

He said political stability was essential for the economic stability of a country, but some elements were trying to destabilize Pakistan and derail the democratic system, and Imran Khan had been playing the role of a puppet for the purpose since 2014.

Ahsan Iqbal said Imran Khan did not have any experience of managing government affairs. He even had no experience to run an office or institution, but he was claiming that he would bring change in the country, he added.

He said all the political parties should show unity as it was need of the hour.

The minister said some people were trying to create hurdles in the Senate elections. There were some indications that unrest would be created in the country before the elections.

He said there was no option for holding general election before time and the government would complete its constitutional tenure.

He requested the Peer of Sialvi Shareef and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Allama Tahir-ul-Qadri to avoid holding sit-ins and instead work for the country’s development.

Replying to a question, he said US President Donald Trump’s tweet was an insult to the people of Pakistan, which had totally changed the status of the countries’ relations.

Ahsan Iqbal said the US had failed in Afghanistan but it was blaming Pakistan for its failure which was unfair. Pakistan had been hosting some 3.5 million Afghan refugees for over three decades, he added.

To another query, he said Pakistani armed forces were fully capable of responding to any external threat and hoped that the US would not take any step for destroying peace in South Asia.

The US had a lot of contradictions in its policies and was trying to make Pakistan as a scapegoat for its failure, he added.