LAHORE: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday complained about the lack of respect for the public mandate and the government, saying that such a notion might work against the country’s prosperity. “Unfortunately in Pakistan, the public mandate is not respected. Even in Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai completed his tenure and now Ashraf Ghani is on course. If the mandate is not respected, soon enough Afghanistan would surpass us,” Ahsan Iqbal said while speaking to the media in Lahore. Praising Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government’s performance, Ahsan Iqbal said that the party has brought a great deal of prosperity and development in the country. “Prior to PML-N’s reign, the situation in Pakistan was dire. Terrorism was at its peak, while 18-20 hour loadshedding was there. Since we took over, we have eliminated terrorism and got a grip on the power crisis,” the interior minister said. Ahsan also spoke about the positive impact the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would have on the general public. “CPEC would prove to be a game changer. Not only would it boost economic development, it would also strengthen Pak-China people-to-people contacts,” he added. The lawmaker also took a jab at ‘the philosophers on televisions’ saying that some elements are trying to spread negative propaganda against the party and the government.