Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said that the opposition is not a threat to the government and that the anti-government movement by 11-party alliance is ‘practically over’.

“The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is practically over. They have used their full force in their rallies and have come to know that the people are not with them,” a confident-looking prime minister told the parliamentary meeting of the PTI and allied parties. “Opposition wanted to trap ruling party in Election Commission, but has ended up trapping itself. Don’t worry, the opposition is not a problem for us,” he said, as he took the allied parties into confidence regarding important government decisions.

The participants of the session discussed strategy for upcoming Senate elections. PTI leader Raja Riaz came out in Jahangir Tareen’s support and said that he should be ‘appointed as chairman for the committee on Senate elections in Punjab’. Riaz further suggested that said Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, former health minister Amir Kayani, and PTI Punjab’s president Ejaz Chaudhry should be included in the committee.

Imran Khan told the meeting that complete inquiry into Hudaibiya Paper Mills scandal will also be carried out. On the Broadsheet issue, he stated that a commission has been formed that will also fully investigate the Surrey Palace and Hudabiya Paper Mill cases. He said that all the members of the public should put their full emphasis on the Ehsaas Program. He also asked for parliament members to visit shelter homes and take steps to provide facilities to the poor. “If the country’s poor are taken care of, the rest of the issues will get resolved too,” he said.

In the meeting, the members inquired about the rising debts, in response to which Finance Advisor Hafeez Sheikh put forward the relevant details. The members also apprised the prime minister about the problems of their constituencies.

Talking to media persons outside Parliament House after the meeting, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz said that the component parties of PDM lack unity as all of them are pursuing conflicting narratives and interests. He said that the PDM has internal differences having no consensus as PPP and PML-N have their own interests. He said that the PPP wanted to move a no confidence motion but the PML-N had a different viewpoint. He said that PDM had earlier announced many other steps but failed to achieve any target. He said if the opposition moved a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister in the National Assembly it would meet the same fate like opposition’s other options, though it was their constitutional and democratic right.

The minister said that in the parliamentary party meeting, Adviser on Economic Affairs Hafeez Sheikh gave a detailed briefing on the economy. The meeting was informed that when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf came into power, the country was facing a huge trade deficit and the present regime had to take tough decisions to keep the economy afloat. He said that now the economy is improving because of prudent policies pursued by the government. He said that the previous government artificially controlled the dollar exchange rate which hampered industrial sector development and exports whereas reliance on imports increased.

Shibli Faraz said that the opposition has been continuously spreading negative propaganda regarding loans. He said out of Rs 11 trillion loans, Rs 6 trillion were utilized for payment of previous loans and interest payment. Shibli said Rs.1.2 trillion were provided to support different sectors especially the disadvantaged segments of the society in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic while Rs.3 trillion were the impact of change in dollar and rupee parity. He said that the rising dollar exchange rate increased the debt by Rs 3 trillion.

When asked about the upcoming Senate elections, the minister said the government believed in holding the elections in the most transparent manner and past practice of sale and purchase of votes should end. He said the government has sought guidance of the Supreme Court on holding the elections through open balloting. He said it had also prepared a bill on the matter and it will be seen whether or not the opposition supports the legislation on the issue.

When asked about the Broadsheet issue, the minister said an inquiry commission to be headed by Azmat Saeed Sheikh will investigate it. He said the past rulers were involved in corruption and money laundering on a large scale and this should be investigated.