Daily Times

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry Saturday said the government was ready to constitute a commission as per demand of the opposition to probe the alleged rigging in July 25 general elections. Responding to the allegations levelled by Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, the minister said the opposition has so far failed to elaborate the nature of their allegations. Also the opposition has not yet submitted terms of references (TORs) for investigation into the alleged rigging. He regretted that the opposition was using the issue of election rigging as a political stunt and that too without producing any concrete evidence. “The opposition should better present concrete proposals for investigation into the alleged rigging,” he suggested.

Regarding increase in gas, fertilizer and electricity prices, he said the government has not increased the prices. The PML-N government had destroyed the departments of gas, electricity and fertilizer. He said the government was working to resolve the issue of circular debt.

Strongly denying the allegations of political victimisation, the minister said Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz were convicted and sent to jail during the government of his own party. “Accusations of Shehaz Sharif in this regard are quite surprising,” he said.

Fawad said Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were facing corruption allegations and could not prove the source of their income and assets. He said nobody has ever made such whooping money in such a short period of time.

He said the PTI government was talking measures to steer the country out of crisis. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan was the man of commitment as everybody believes that he will spend the donated amount honestly and at the right place.

He said the government had assumed that the opposition would announce donations in dam fund but they resorted to criticize the donation appeal. Opposition should have donated at least $1,000 each in the dam fund, he said.

Denying opposition’s allegations of curtailing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, he said the government will complete all CPEC projects besides ensuring transparency and effectiveness.

Published in Daily Times, September 9^th 2018.