Pakistan
Opposition has neither required numbers nor public support to table no-trust move against govt: Fawad
The minister claims two major opposition parties-- PPP and PML-N-- have been reduced to regional parties
Lahore: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Saturday said the opposition parties would not succeed in any move against the government as they had neither the required numbers nor the public support.
Addressing a press conference here, he said there was no possibility of tabling of a no-confidence move by the opposition parties as they were only giving time lines.
He said faces of the opposition leaders, particularly of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, were reflective of their depressing situation as they did not have anything in their pocket. The opposition parties were trying to create a political environment by staging marches and proposing a no-confidence move for a face-saving only, he added.
He said that the two major opposition parties, Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had been reduced to regional parties only, as the PPP had been limited to some divisions of Sindh province while the PML-N confined to a few divisions of Punjab.
Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman led Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam had presence in some Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa areas, Fawad said adding that no other political party was standing with them in no-confidence move.
He expressed gratitude to the ally parties for standing firmly with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
government and said the opposition parties were not sincere with each other and all of them were looking for protecting their personal interests.
Ch Fawad said that the PTI government would welcome PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s march in Rawalpindi and added that around 100 people, which were the total strength of his march, would also be offered tea.
He advised Bilawal to realise that Pakistan was hosting Australian cricket team in Rawalpindi after a long time and such a show (long march), led by him, could have a negative impact at the international level.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was following an independent and balanced foreign policy based on equal relations with all major countries including the United States of America (USA) and Russia, he said.
The minister said that Pakistan wanted good relations with all major countries and it enjoyed good relations with the US also. He said the Pakistan government, led by Imran Khan, had always declared that the use of military was never a solution to any dispute and it had also spoke in the United Nations that Russia-Ukraine dispute should be resolved through dialogue and not through the use of force.
Fawad Hussain said that the opposition parties' leaders, who owned properties abroad, were particularly in a shock over prime minister’s visit to Russia. He said Pakistan wanted that country’s looted wealth stashed in foreign banks should be brought back and the government was progressing on the matter swiftly.
He said the civil and military institutions were on the same page in the country and the people of the country were standing behind the PTI government. The government was devising pro-people policies as Prime Minister Imran Khan had great feelings for masses to work for their welfare, he added.
The minister said that the entire nation strongly condemned the Peshawar blast and was standing united against such incidents. He said that occurring of such incidents was very unfortunate, particularly when some sports events were being held in the country.
He said that investigation into the Peshawar blast was under way and the culprits would be traced out soon by the agencies.
He said that many cricket teams had received threatening tweets from Indian soil during their Pakistan visit. Such conspiracies should be avoided and the two countries should move forward while the Kashmir dispute should also be resolved.
Fawad Hussain said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had emerged as a true leader of the country as well as Muslim Ummah. He said Pakistan was going to make a history again by holding the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting on March 22. Besides the OIC, foreign ministers of other important countries would also be present in the country on Pakistan Day, March 23.
To a question, he said the purpose of making an amendment to Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) was to check propaganda and stop dissemination of hate material on the print, electronic and social media.