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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Opposition urged to ‘refrain’ from dragging state organs into politics

By Newsdesk
September 22, 2020

ISLAMABAD: Describing the All Parties Conference as a “show of disappointment”, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi urged the opposition on Monday to “refrain from dragging state institutions into politics at the behest of Pakistan’s enemies”.

“Governments come and go, but the opposition is in fact playing to the tunes of those desiring ill of the country,” the foreign minister said here at a news conference, flanked by Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz, Planning Minister Asad Umer and Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry.

Qureshi criticised the opposition’s targeting of state institutions, including the army, judiciary and National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which, he said, was contrary to the national interest. He said the opposition attacked an institution that always remained vigilant for defending the country’s sovereignty and gave immense sacrifices of lives.

He said the main motive behind the APC was the opposition’s failed attempt to get the NAB rolled back. “For the opposition, the rollback of NAB is an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) of the time,” he said.

“On being unsuccessful to pressurise Prime Minister Imran Khan for the NRO, the APC was called, which turned out to be a “mix of contradictions”,” he said, stressing the government would not succumb to any pressure in that regard.

The foreign minister rejected opposition’s objections on the foreign policy of the country, saying the entire world was acknowledging Pakistan’s role as a facilitator in the Afghan peace process.

He further said the Prime Minister had vociferously raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the UN General Assembly, international human rights bodies and other global forums.

He said on the one hand, the opposition was criticising government’s Kashmir policy while on the other hand they had supported government for the passage of resolutions on Kashmir.

Refuting opposition’s claim that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was being rolled back, Qureshi said all the CPEC projects were continue and would be completed within the stipulated timeframe.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Syed Shibli Faraz said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in his speech the previous day raised suspicions about the election process because he was not used to a free and fair election. He said opposition was making state institutions controversial, which was not a service either to the country or the democracy. He said the opposition should come up with solid suggestions for free and fair elections instead of maligning the entire election process. Faraz said Sharif was living in London on the pretext of health issues, but apparently he seemed hale and hearty.

Asad Umar said opposition was resorting to such gimmicks to protect its corruption and properties. He regretted the approach adopted by the opposition for personal gains. He said opposition’s narrative was very close to anti-Pakistan forces. He said the opposition had waged war on state institutions, including the military, judiciary, and the anti-corruption watchdog for not acting to its dictates.

The Planning Minister said former rulers had deliberately created an economic crisis in the country to give tough time to the PTI government. He said the government had successfully overcome the challenge and faded all the hopes of the opposition to trample the new dispensation. He said it was regrettable that the opposition opposed the Financial Action Task Force-related legislation. He said opposition leaders’ speeches at the APC were celebrated in India.

Umar said one should keep in mind that democratic system was fully functioning in Pakistan, while civilian and the military leadership were collectively working hard to take the country forward. He said the government and the military were collaborating in all matters, including Covid-19, locust attack, realisation of Karachi transformational programme, and development in Balochistan.

Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said the government set new traditions of tolerance by allowing live broadcast of speeches of opposition leaders. He said Nawaz Sharif wanted to use institutions to protect his corruption and on refusal he used to turn against them, which was evident from the fact that the former prime minister failed to develop working relationships with any of army chief during his three terms as the chief executive of the country.