PM lucky to have ‘sluggish’ opposition, says Rashid

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Sunday said Prime Minister Imran Khan was “lucky to have such an incompetent and sluggish opposition”.

Talking to media after inaugurating a coronavirus vaccination facility in Islamabad, Rashid said lawmakers loyal to Jahangir Tareen would support the government in the budget session on June 11. He said he expected that the salary and pension of employees would be “significantly increased”.

Replying to a question about Nawaz Sharif, he said the former prime minister “deceived the government and went abroad with fake medical reports” and the Prime Minister was aggrieved over the situation, but the government stopped Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif from going abroad and put his name on the Exit Control List (ECL).

He said a person whose name was included in the ECL could challenge the decision in 15 days but Shahbaz did not challenge the interior ministry’s decision. With regard to the vaccines, Rashid said Prime Minister Imran Khan would personally speak to the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Europe with regard to the recognition of a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine.

Rashid said while discussing the recognition of the Sinopharm vaccine in Saudi Arabia and Europe in a federal cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister had stated that he would personally talk to leaders of the concerned countries. He said the Sinopharm vaccine was “one of the best vaccines available in the world”.

Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said Rashid had presented a report on law and order situation in Sindh to Prime Minister Imran Khan. “Let us see what will be decided now.”

The governor, replying to a question, said Sindh Police was fighting against bandits in the province with AK-47 weapons, “some of which work and some of them were out-of-order and because of that some Jawans have also embraced Shahadat”.