Big decisions to be taken in next 4-5 months: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said the next four to five months will be crucial as Prime Minister Imran Khan will be making major decisions.

Speaking to Geo Pakistan on Thursday, the federal minister said that the two special assistants to the prime minister — who had tendered their resignation amid criticism in the backdrop of great public scrutiny over the matter of dual nationalities — have already made their stance on the issue known.

A day earlier, Tania Aidrus and Dr Zafar Mirza tendered their resignation from their posts as the special assistants to the prime minister (SAPM) on Digital Pakistan and National Health, respectively, which were accepted by the prime minister.

Chaudhry said that Aidrus resigned due to her NGO which had raised objections from critics who had alleged that there was a conflict of interest. Speaking about Dr Mirza, he said that when it came to importing medicines from India, it had more to do with the Finance Division than the health sector headed by Mirza.

"Dr Zafar Mirza had nothing to do with the import of medicines from India. According to Article 91, if the prime minister agrees with your position, then you will continue to work.

The prime minister has his own powers and executive authority," he added.

The federal minister went on to add that one cannot expect reforms from any other leader but Imran Khan in the country. "The prime minister had already hinted at taking important decisions. [The next] four or five months are the months of major decisions [expected to be taken by] the prime minister," he said.

Noting that Sindh Governor Imran Ismail has concerns over the state of affairs that Karachi was in, the minister said that the Sindh government had always adamantly spoken out when it came to the National Finance Commission Award (NFC), but the provincial government is not ready to provide facilities to its citizens. "Until and unless funds are not released to all districts, Sindh's problems will not be solved," he added.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz has said that resignations and people keep coming and going in politics and the interest of the country is government's top priority at the moment.

Addressing a seminar on Kashmir Exploitation Day at Gore Nerhaus, the information minister said that the Pakistani nation stands with the people of Kashmir. Faraz added that the opposition was working for its interests. Stating that resignations keep coming in the government, Faraz stressed that the prime minister has also obliged the advisers to declare assets and for the first time, the assets of special assistants were declared in front of the people. He added that the project for digital Pakistan will continue as it is.