News
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Shahbaz has coterie of ‘unpatriotic’ retired officials, says Taseer* Governor says Rana Maqbool, Major Mushtaq have contacts with terrorists
* Group wants to kill important personality
Daily Times Monitor
LAHORE: Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer said on Monday that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had a coterie of retired army, intelligence and police officials, which was working against the interest of the country.
In his exclusive interview to the Business Plus channel, the governor said such a group, comprising Rana Maqbool and Major Mushtaq, had contacts with the terrorists.
About Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khawaja Sharif’s murder conspiracy, he said the group could go to the extent of inviting terrorists to kill a key personality and create chaos in the country. He said such conspiracies were not only harmful for a democratic government, but also for its guardian. The governor said Secretary to the Punjab Chief Minister Tauqeer Shah had leaked the ‘murder conspiracy report’ by informing a newspaper reporter by telephone.
Taseer said the government was making its decisions on the floor of the House instead of closed-door rooms and was working for the stability of all institutions. He said the government inherited the issues of terrorism, power shortfall and global financial crisis, but it was facing the difficulties with courage.
Taseer said politics based on revenge had been brought to an end and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) formed a coalition government while President Asif Ali Zardari voluntarily handed over his powers to parliament.
He said though he was not fully satisfied with the PPP’s performance but the whole world knew that the PPP brought a complete democratic government by replacing the army rule. He said Pakistan gained access to the international markets only because of the PPP.
The governor said schemes such as Watan Card and Benazir Income Support Programme had decreased financial problems of the people. He said aid would be transferred to flood victims through foolproof means. “We will prove this to the world,” he said. The governor questioned why the Sasti Roti Scheme was not initiated in southern Punjab, where average people lived below the poverty line.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk