Daily Times

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Wednesday urged the opposition parties to avoid public meetings in order to mitigate the impact of the second wave of coronavirus.

Addressing a press conference, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf (PTI) had cancelled all its public meetings, including postponing the event in Rashakai. He said the neighbouring countries were suffering from the disease badly and fearing the worst.

Shibli Faraz said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties were divided on issues. The leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party have the idea that they are not on the same page. The ‘swindlers’ in the opposition had no rational thinking and the cracks in their ranks were evident from their contradictory statements, he added. He said PDM head Maulana Fazlur Rehman had always done politics on the basis of religion keeping his business and vested interests in view. He pointed out that former Federal Board of Revenue chairman Shabbar Zaidi had denied the statement attributed to him by Fazl, stating that Prime Minister Imran Khan had the best leadership qualities. The Maulana had no courage to tender apology for the fake statement, he added.

The Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl did not win seats in Gilgit Baltistan, he said, and added the opposition parties had no programme for the welfare of people. They were holding public meetings despite the onset of deadly second coronavirus wave.

Fazl should better guide the people on the adverse impacts of the Covid-19, he said. On the contrary, the opposition leaders are opting for a political drama by holding public gatherings, he added.

The minister said the people, however, did not approve the opposition’s activities as evident from their public meeting in Mansehra on Wednesday. Such gatherings would eventually spread the virus and “we have to take all the precautionary measures,” he added.

The opposition leaders, he said, were just interested in expanding their businesses. There were some persons in the ranks of opposition, who had looted the national wealth and bought properties abroad, he added.

The minister said the people had rejected the opposition parties in the 2018 election and again in the recent Gilgit Baltistan polls. They were not in a position to reject the results of GB polls, which were held in a free and fair manner, he added.

He reiterated that the opposition politicians were businessmen and would remain the same, who were damaging the country. They were pursuing a venomous narrative of maligning the institutions, which was rejected by the people, he added.