Opposition using parliament to defend corrupt leadership: Firdous

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan asked Friday the opposition to desist from defending the corruption of ruling elites in the Parliament and support the government in its pro-people initiatives instead.

Reacting to opposition’s agitation in the National Assembly, she charged that the parliamentary sessions were run on the tax-payers money; therefore, these must not be used as a shield for corruption of the ruling elite’s families.

She called on the opposition to represent public in the House instead of those, involved in heinous crimes against the state institutions. “The House should not be used a wrestling ring,” she emphasized.

Referring to the references against SC judges, she said that it was unfortunate to take a constitutional issue as political one and said that in the New Pakistan, none was above accountability.

She said Prime Minister Imran Khan had made struggle for the independence of the judiciary and faced confinement. “We strongly believe in independent judiciary, supremacy of the Constitution and the law,” she noted.

Meanwhile, she noted that the government would announce new advertisement policy in the next few weeks after holding consultation with all the stakeholders. She was speaking here at a ceremony in connection with the release of advertisement funds to the media houses.

The special assistant said the new advertisement policy would ensure protection of rights of media workers and their job and social security. Dr. Awan said the federal government was releasing today an outstanding amount of Rs190 million to the media houses and it would gradually clear the entire pending amount.

She pointed out that the Punjab government has already released funds to the media houses while the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will also release the funds very soon. The special assistant urged the media owners to release salaries to the media workers before Eidul Fitr. She said an independent and sovereign media is important to strengthen the foundations of Naya Pakistan.

Talking to media after the prorogation of the stormy Senate session, Leader of the House in the Senate Syed Shibli Faraz alleged that the opposition parties were creating hurdle in the passage of pro-people legislation in the Parliament.

He pointed out that a bill was put in the Upper House for passage, which sought increase in the number of judges in Islamabad High Court but the opposition opposed it tooth and nail and it would now lapse.

Senator Shibli claimed that this showed that the opposition parties were not interested in any relief to the masses but out to protect corruption of their leaders inside the Parliament as well.

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Azam Swati said it was the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to provide justice to the people at their doorstep and the bill was a move in that direction.