Multan stayed away from PDM show

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz Monday termed the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s Multan public meeting a poor show and claimed that the people would not support those who played with Pakistan’s future and its institutions for their vested interest.

Speaking here at a news conference in reaction to the opposition’s public meeting, the minister emphasized that the PDM’s show did not enjoy the public support and those present were either given cash or misguided to be there.

“Like the Peshawar meeting, people stayed away from Multan event and hopefully they will do so in future as well,” he noted.

The minister said the target of PML-N Vice-President Maryam, enjoying ‘benefits of family politics, was none else than Prime Minister Imran Khan for he was the person to decide on whether or not an NRO was to be given and surely, the prime minister had repeatedly declared not to give such concession to the opposition leaders.

He termed her speech extremely irresponsible, disjointed as well as confused and asserted that Pakistan’s stance on Israel was unchanged as explained by the prime minister during his two interviews.

He said so much lie was told in the speeches that an adjacent building caught the fire. “The opposition leaders are bent upon putting at stake everything, even the country’s dignity for the sake of NRO. They want the revival of era of loot and plunder again while their own families are abroad; they want to endanger the public life,” he alleged.

Maryam Nawaz’s speech, he charged, reminded one of the speeches of Nawaz Sharif during 1990s, the type of language he used against women at that time.

He said Zulfikar Bhutto’s soul would be unhappy over seeing a national level party reduced to a regional one and on watching its leadership sitting with those, who had a role in sending him to the gallows.

The minister maintained that it was special blessing of Allah that Imran Khan was the ruler in Pakistan – an honest, bold and upright person, committed to revive the economy and the state institutions.

He said Pakistan was never blessed with such prime minister in the past, having no personal business or agenda and having no intention to introduce his children in politics.

He saw no problem in bugging of prime minister’s telephone calls by the agencies and said this was common in the US, Europe and elsewhere and there was nothing to worry about it, as Prime Minister Imran Khan had no personal business or relations with India, which could harm Pakistan, like Nawaz Sharif.

The minister pointed out that Nawaz Sharif would emerge as the central character whenever there was something undemocratic done, like stabbing in the back of Muhammad Khan Junejo, sale and purchase at Changa Manga, Mehran Bank scandal and Osama Bin Laden or toppling of Benazir Bhutto government.

He noted that Maryam was trying to become Benazir Bhutto and added that if her own son Bilawal could not do so, how could she emulate her.

The minister questioned JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman as to what he had done for the cause of Kashmir for he remained chairman of Kashmir committee for around 30 years while Prime Minister Imran Khan had very effectively advocated the Kashmir issue, explained the Ummah’s concerns over Islamophobia and blasphemy of Holy Prophet (PBUH).

The minister rejected Maryam’s claim that she was not informed about the death of her grandmother and claimed that she knew it much before the Peshawar meeting and that the government had declared that there would be no hurdle in the way of Nawaz Sharif, his sons and Ishaq Dar if they wanted to return and attend the funeral of their mother.

Shibli said the opposition had miserably failed and it was reflected in their speeches, while Imran Khan was committed to serving the country selflessly.

“Inflation has already come down and there would be more reduction in prices of goods in coming days and not weeks,” he said.

Shibli called PDM the corona of corruption and appealed to people to stay away from their events in future as well for the corona was a reality.

The opposition never cared about them and they were missing from their speeches even during the Multan public meeting, the minister added.

Meanwhile, Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Monday said Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had launched a vigorous campaign against the ruling party to protect their fathers from corruption and money laundering cases.

In an interview with a private television channel, he said the opposition parties were not following the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in public meetings.

He further said corona cases were rising in the country due to violation of directions given by the head of NCOC.

Lamenting the double standard of Sindh government, he said it was strange that the Sindh chief minister was part of the NCOC meeting but he himself ignored instructions given for the general public.

He criticized the Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N for playing with human health through the public meetings to gain personal interest.

Replying to a question, the minister said the representatives of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) were responsible for spreading virus in Peshawar and other cities.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shehbaz Gill Monday said Prime Minister Imran Khan had struggled for 23 years to hold the looters and plunderers accountable.

“corrupt elements have gathered under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to save their corruption, as they are involved in massive corruption charges,” he said while talking to a private news channel.

He said the PDM leadership was adopting the standard operating procedures (SOPs) at homes, but not in public gatherings.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Punjab Chief Minister on Information Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan Monday lashed out at the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) for its hypocrisy saying that its leaders were exacting revenge on the people of Punjab for making them politically unemployed.

Taking to Twitter, she lashed out at the PPP and PDM saying on the one hand, the Sindh government was closing markets at 6pm as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus, while on the other hand the PPP was holding jalsas in Multan.

“Such is the extent of [their] hypocrisy that buses filled with people are being brought to Punjab to hold jalsas,” she said.

Turning her guns towards the 11-party alliance, Dr. Firdous Awan said the PDM was promoting a friendly environment for the coronavirus to spread.

She said the government was committed to eradicating polio from the country.

Talking to newsmen in Lahore, she said a five-day polio had been launched in the province and an effective monitoring was being carried out to cover all areas.

She said polio drive was affected due to the coronavirus due to which 14 cases have been reported during the ongoing year.