Daily Times

Criticising the opposition’s role in the wake of the pandemic, Special Assistant to Punjab CM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that the opposition is prioritising temporary political interests over national interests.

She said this while talking to the media men at Lahore Press Club (LPC) Corona Vaccination Centre on Monday.

Dr Firdous said the political future of the Sharif family is bleak and it is astounding that the one who guaranteed the return of a so-called patient from London is now trying to flee the country. Shehbaz Sharif booked the ticket before the decision of the court, she claimed. The government has not done anything wrong as the decisions in the public interest are not delayed, she emphasised.

She said that regrettably, the Sharif family has a history of making institutions controversial to promote its self-interest at the cost of the state. It is in the knowledge of everybody that the Sharif family has prioritised personal interests over everything including the armed forces. On the other side, the PTI government is firmly standing with the institutions and the law will continue its course of action against the political culprits, she said.

She condemned Israeli barbarity against unarmed Palestinians. She said that the Hindutva mindset that did not allow Kashmiris to offer Eid prayer has been fully exposed before the world. The Pakistan government firmly supports the just struggle of the Kashmiris and Palestinians, she added.

The SACM said the vaccination of journalists’ community has been started from Lahore Press Club and scope will be expanded to other press clubs in the province to help the media persons perform their duty safely.

Dr Firdous appreciated the front-line role of the media community in different situations during the corona pandemic. Besides protecting the lives of the people, the government is also paying attention to their livelihood, she said. The intensity of the virus has been lessened during Eid holidays but human struggle against this disease continues and the people should maintain social distance while following SOPs, she said.

The special assistant pointed out that the Punjab government has always given priority to the journalists’ community in different projects including Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme and the media men are also accommodated through journalists support fund and journalists colonies. She disclosed that efforts for journalists’ colony of LPC are being materialised along with the inclusion of journalists in different projects of public importance.