Corruption deep-rooted in Pakistan: Shibli Faraz

KARACHI: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz Friday said corruption is deep-rooted in Pakistan, and it could not be eliminated in two and a half years.He said instead of creating hurdles in the projects, the Sindh government should facilitate the development of province, including Karachi. Talking to media here at the Sindh Governor House, the minister said the Sindh government was doing negative politics.

“Whether it is the islands project or the Karachi package, the Sindh government is unfortunately playing the role of a spoiler,” he said. He said first the Sindh government had issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the islands project and then all of a sudden it started raising objections. According to national media, the minister said the whole country knew the corruption stories of the Sindh elite class. To a query, he said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had now become a tale of the past as the people knew that its leaders were out for their personal interests.

Meanwhile, Shibli Faraz said the PTI government firmly believes in the public right to ''freedom of expression'' and considered it their basic constitutional and democratic right. He was talking to the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) members here at the PBA House.

The minister said concerted efforts were required on part of every segment to brave the series of challenges currently faced by the country and solve ensuing problems in the pragmatic manners. He said the government was also paying equal attention towards strengthening and promotion of media industry that had immense value across the world and was rightly considered as a vehicle of change. Shibli assured that problems being faced by the PBA would be addressed through mutual cooperation and coordination besides consistent interactions.