Daily Times

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Thursday lashed out at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for linking its corruption in road infrastructure projects with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) saying “It is beyond comprehension.”

“As far as China Pakistan Economic Corridor is concerned, I am unable to understand as to why the PML-N wanted to link China with its corruption. The corruption of Sharif family will be investigated at all the cost as it has nothing to do with CPEC,” the minister told the launching ceremony of a book written by a Sports Analyst Dr Nauman Niaz.

He said the PML-N leadership was trying to link China and state institutions with their corruption in the hope to get relief in the investigation be carried out in the project of roads constructing during the era of the previous government.

They would never let to succeed in their plan, he said while accusing the PML-N of a plot to hide behind the institutions to escape accountability in roads projects. In this week, the government had decided to take action against those who were involved in the alleged corruption committed in the road infrastructure project during the past PML-N’s government tenure, he added.

The minister expressed the hope that Ahsan Iqbal and PML-N would avoid such a negative attitude towards CPEC which was an initiative of national importance.

Ahsan Iqbal should first decide who was running the affairs of the PML-N, he added.

He should first get a vote of trust from the PML-N, and then ask others for a vote of confidence, Fawad said while responding to query.

Prime Minister Imran Khan not only enjoyed the confidence of the National Assembly, but also of entire nation which voted him into power, Fawad said, adding the prime minster would continue to rule on the basis of the people’s trust in his leadership.

About importance of cricket in Pakistan, he said the game was key to unite people in Pakistan from Karachi to Peshawar and mountains of Gilgit Baltistan to Gwadar’s ocean.

“Our hearts beat with [national] team and [its] players,” he said while recalling massive financial losses incurred to the PTV sports channel and a ‘demoralizing effect’ on the nation in the wake of cancellation of cricket tours by the foreign teams including New Zealand.

“We were in Dushanbe and the prime minister was about to deliver his speech when I was given a message that the Prime Minister be informed about the New Zealand cricket team’s wrap up [of tour]. At that point of time, me, Shah Mahmood (Foreign Minister) and Moeed Yusuf (National Security Advisor) were unanimous that the prime minister should not be told the news until he concludes his speech, otherwise it will have its effect,” Fawad said while describing the impact of cricket in national affairs.

Lauding the efforts of Nauman Niaz for Pakistan’s cricket, the minister said after serving the PCB, he became a journalist and now was hosting ‘Game on Hai’ show which had quite impressing viewership across the country.

“The library you have created and the book you have written, I will like to thank you on that on behalf of our people,” he said while expressing the hope that there would be a grand opening of his [Nauman] initiative after a collaboration with the PCB so that common people could also reap its benefits.

The minister said the library had every collection which the cricketing world loved including bats of best players of the world and the balls which used in the Aussies cricket series.

He announced an exhibition in future to promote the library and congratulated him on such marvelous initiative.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib also congratulated Nauman Niaz over launching of his book which had preserved history of cricket in itself.

He described Nauman Niaz as an encyclopedia of cricketing information.

Managing Director PTV Aamir Manzoor, CEO ARY TV Salman Iqbal, Chief Selector Muhammad Waseem, Rashid Latif, Umer Gul, Yasir Hameed and Muhammad Akram also soke on the occasion.