Minister for Information inaugurates the office of Faisalabad Union of Journalists

Lahore :Federal Minister for Information,Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid said Sunday the government was making concrete measures for the development and welfare of the masses.

Talking to reporters after inaugurating the office of Faisalabad Union of Journalists (FUJ) here, he said some elements wanted to create conditions in the country like before 2013, but Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was committed to improve the socio-economic condition of the people by adopting prudent policies.

The people, who were criticizing and leveling baseless allegations against the government, he said, should carry out introspection that what they had done for the people’s welfare.”They will not to accept the real achievements of the PML-N that the present government has not only stabilized the Pakistani
rupee but also put the national economy on right track,” he added.

He said it was ill behaved to talk against the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who had the credit to conduct seven nuclear tests despite international pressure and Pakistan was made an
Islamic nuclear state. He said the country now was in safe hands as compared to 2013 as the terrorists back had been broken which had even been acknowledged by the entire world.

He said election reforms committee was constituted, which comprised representatives of all the political parties, whose input would be duly considered.

The Chief Election Commissioner, he added, was appointed in consultation with all the political parties. The government was ready to accept any proposal to further improve the electoral system,but sit-ins, and long marches were not acceptable, he added.

“Any change in political system should come through the ballot paper and the political parties should also play their role in this process,” he opined.

The Prime Minister had raised the Kashmir issue at all international forums, including UN General Assembly, he added.

Pervaiz Rashid said that the elements, who were now speaking against the government, themselves were responsible for the state of affairs as they failed to control terrorism during their tenure.

The PML-N government, he said, had successfully handled the long march and sit-in, besides foiling the conspiracies of a RAW agent.

The country was now stable and strong as the government had the ability to counter the nefarious designs of anti-state elements,he added.

Responding to a question about the National Action Plan, he said the political leadership legislated laws against terrorists and their facilitators, besides those involved in delivering hate speeches. “The government has done the job as sectarian wall chalking cannot be found now in any part of the country,” he added.

The minister said in 2013, the terrorists were active and their facilitators were extorting money from the people on the pretext of charity donations.

The PML-N government, he said, provided a congenial atmosphere in which military leadership successfully operated and nailed down the terrorists. “Our critics had failed to provide this atmosphere
before 2013,” he added.

He said the PML-N had successfully negotiated with the political parties at the platform of Parliament to enact laws against terrorism. “Our forces and law enforcing agencies have rendered un-matchable
sacrifices, which are even acknowledged in Washington, Moscow and Kabul. Even India has to accept our sacrifices against international terrorism,” he said and added that Pakistan was much safer now as
compared to 2013.

About Indian agent Kulbushan Yadav, he said, the Indian High Commissioner was summoned to Foreign Office and a strong protest was lodged. The government fully believed in democracy and was exploiting all available resources to strengthen the democratic institutions of the country.

Similarly, the Information Minister said, media should also promote democratic order within itself. “They should settle their internal differences to make media once against a strong pillar of
the state,” he added.

Pervaiz Rashid said the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) being an elected government was following the principles of democracy. In 2013 general elections, on the request of defeated parties, a high
level judicial commission was formed, which after thorough probe,declared the elections as free, fair and transparent. He said with sincere efforts of the government, the situation was returning back to normalcy. “We have controlled inflation, stabilized the Pakistani rupee while the price index is
indicative of our excellent performance,” he said.

About Women Protection Bill, he said, Constitution of Pakistan was formed by the elders of religious leaders such as Mufti Mehmood,Shah Ahmad Noorani and Professor Ghafoor etc. The present
legislation was within the framework of this Constitution.

He said Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had given a clear and loud message to respect women and hence there was nothing un-Islamic in the Women Protection Bill.

To a question about the departure of former President Pervez Musharraf abroad, the minister said that his cases were pending in the courts and they had authority to pass any order.He said the government had no personal enmity with anybody and its actions were reflective of that approach. However,
they would strictly follow the orders passed by the competent courts.

He appealed to media-persons to adopt democratic norms themselves as they expected from others. Senior journalists, he said, should play their due role in bringing the journalist community of the city at
a single platform by forging unity in their ranks to perform their professional duties more effectively.