Opposition set to face fresh challenges as more looted public money being unearthed: Gill

Lahore: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill said on Wednesday the opposition was set to face more challenges as more looted public money was being unearthed by the government institutions in near future.

Talking to the reporters outside the Punjab Chief Minister's Secretariat during Prime Minister’s day-long visit to the provincial metropolis, he said Rs 550 billion had already been recovered, adding that the recovered money would be utilized to provide more facilities to the masses.

Shahbaz Gill, in disguised sarcasm towards PML-N leadership, said the PML-N leadership
must be thanked for making paupers and poor employees billionaires, adding that Shehbaz
Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz drew billions of rupees from the bank accounts of Maqsood,
a petty peon, to launder money.

‘Medals should be awarded to the PML-N leaders for changing the plight of common peons
through their corrupt practices', he said, adding the ill-gotten money was transferred to the
bank accounts without knowledge of the account-holders.

SAPM said the opposition leaders had got together in defense of their corruption and
travelling to the length and breadth of the country to save themselves, adding that the thieves
stand in a huddle once that were faced with accountability.

He said the PPP and PML- N leaders were the foes of the past but they had become friends today to defend themselves.

Shahbaz Gill said the PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz was silent as her cousin and uncle were
being indicted and the fear of indictment had brought all opposition leaders together.

Hailing Federal Minister for Water Resources Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, he said the scion
of Chaudhrys of Gujrat acted very wisely and distanced his party from the opposition’s
claims.

He admitted that the government had to increase the prices of petroleum products as perthe trend in the international market, expressing the hope the petroleum prices would decrease
in few months.

On the decisions made during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit, he said new inductions
in the Punjab cabinets would be made in the light of huge population of the province, adding
that more portfolios would be added to the federal cabinet as well and the names would be
made public in a few days. He said the premier had given policy guidelines in this regard.

The SAPM on Political Communication Dr. Shahbaz Gill said country’s economy was stable
as the current growth rate is 5.3 percent while the foreign exchange reserves had reached
22 billion dollars, adding that all major industries textile, construction, had experienced boom
in the recent years under the PTI government.

He said record remittances had been received while the country’s exports had seen a new high.

\To a query regarding Jahangir Tareen, the SAPM said Jahangir Tareen had not spoken publicly
against the party or the Prime Minister Imran Khan, adding that the critics should deal with the
political matters on facts.

To another query, Shahbaz Gill said increase in the size of the cabinets would enhance
productivity of the government, adding that the announcement of new portfolios was not
for political gains but public welfare.