News
‘Masses rejected politics of chaos in polls; tsunami march to meet same fate’
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid has said that the nation has rejected the politics of chaos in May 11, 2013 elections and now the so-called tsunami march promoting chaos would also meet the same fate very soon.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the minister said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had the constitutional right to approach the superior judiciary as they did after their defeat in 2013 general elections, but holding a sit-in to pressurise the courts was unjustified.
He said that it was the responsibility of the government to provide legal cover to Pakistan army in performance of its professional duties. The armed forces have given unprecedented sacrifices in the war against terrorists, and whenever they will need legal cover in providing assistance to the civil administration, the government would provide them the same, he added.
Meanwhile, the minister also stated that there is no possibility of midterm elections in near future. In an interview to a private TV channel on Saturday, the minister said that the government and the army are on same page to eliminate terrorism from the country.
Talking about army deployment in Islamabad, Rashid dismissed the impression that the security control of Islamabad has been handed over to the army. Moreover, he made it clear that the army has nothing to do with politics and PTI’s long march. He said the Army has been given responsibility to maintain law and order in sensitive areas in the federal capital in the wake of the ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb and that the Army has been given legal and constitutional protection against terrorists, under article 45 of the constitution, to perform this duty.
To a question regarding Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chief Dr Allama Tahirul Qadri’s irregularities, Pervaiz Rashid said there is no record Dr Qadri’s expenditure on advertisement campaigns. He also added that there is no record of Qadri’s millions of dollars and pounds and that investigation is underway of any illegal amount. Criticising Imran Khan’s long march, he said that the PTI chief is harming his party for it has failed to deliver in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, therefore Khan should focus on KP.
Simultaneously, Minister for Raliways Khawaja Saad Rafique has asked PTI Chief Imran Khan to give up politics of confrontation. Reacting on PTI Core Committee’s resolution, he asked Imran Khan to assist the government in elimination of terrorists.
He said that the government can ask all the institutions including the army to maintain law and order in the country.Khwaja Saad Rafique said the government will take help from the army in Islamabad and in other cities under the constitution.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rashid has questioned Imran Khan’s preference of settling issues on roads instead of Parliament and the Judiciary.
Pervaiz Rashid also asked Imran to tell the nation why he wanted to tread on the non-democratic path in the presence of parliament, independent judiciary and free media.
About opposition leader’s statements, the information minister said he would request Khursheed Shah to also make comments on anti-democracy statements of Imran Khan instead of targeting governments steps only. Asked to comment JI Amir Sirajul Haq’s statement about Tahirul Qadri, the Information Minister said JI is a democratic party and always stood for resolution of issues through constitution and law. He said he fully backs Sirajul Haq’s statement.
He said it is premature for Imran to talk about not leaving Islamabad and asked him to educate the nation about his objectives and questioned whether he would achieve these objectives by staging a dharna on road. He said that Imran cannot do so through marches and at least would have to knock the door of the courts and the parliament and as soon as he understands this, it would be good for him because he would gain nothing from undemocratic and unconstitutional methods.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk