Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz Wednesday said government will not allow PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif to flee the country as the matter of putting his name on the exit control list (ECL) is under consideration.
Addressing a press conference along with Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Farrukh Habib, the minister said Shehbaz Sharif did not attend the National Assembly session summoned on his own demand and also skipped the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) hearing citing coronavirus threat but personally went to the Lahore High Court to seek bail. He said Shehbaz Sharif was the guarantor when Nawaz Sharif was permitted to go to UK for medical treatment and that he should now be questioned as to why his elder brother is absconding, while he is seen roaming in London.
Referring to the political situation in the country and the opposition’s outcry of victimisation, the minister dispelled the impression being given by the political opponents, especially the PML-N leaders. “The PML-N is trying to befool the masses by raising slogans of victimization but the people of Pakistan fully know that those who have properties and families abroad cannot be their well-wishers,” he said.
The minister claimed that the PML-N has been divided into several factions and the purpose of recent picture of Nawaz Sharif was to warn Shehbaz that the elder Sharif can return any time.
He said there is no future for Shehbaz Sharif and people of his likes in politics as they only want to hinder the accountability process in the country. “Whenever these people are out of power, they run away from the country,” he said, adding that the opposition wants to hinder the process of accountability but Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is not a dynastic party and Imran Khan will clean the mess others have created.
Making it clear that the accountability process will continue as it is the motto of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said the future belongs to only those parties who believe in serving the public and not looting and plundering the national wealth like the past rulers. He said that action will be taken against the mafias who held the country’s economy hostage for their own vested interests.
The minister also appealed to the people to strictly follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to contain the rising cases of coronavirus or else the government will have no option but to enforce the lockdown again. “The majority of people are not adopting precautionary measures after easing of restrictions,” he regretted, adding that curbs were lifted to provide livelihood opportunities to the weaker segments of the society who have to work daily to feed their children. The government has provided to provide financial support to the disadvantaged segments through various initiatives under the Ehsaas Programme, he added.
Shibli Faraz said the government is pursuing an organized and coordinated strategy to control the spread of pandemic and that is the reason the coronavirus cases are far less than the earlier estimates and the countries of the region. He said the objective behind relaxing the restrictions is to save the poor from starvation and keep the wheels of economy moving, which the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government inherited in a very bad condition. Though the government was able to stabilize the economy but it was again hit badly due to the lockdown imposed in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, he added.
About the locust attack, Faraz said all the relevant government departments are working in close coordination to address the issue.
