LAHORE: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain today said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had dismantled the web of corrupt alliances and done away with the old political system in the country.
Addressing a press conference here, he said the opposition political parties were united to avoid accountability for their corruption. “The ‘thugs of Pakistan’ will be the right title for their alliance,” which was destined to fail just like that of the Bollywood film ‘Thugs of Hindustan’,” he added.
The minister said it was necessary to get rid of the old political system in order to put the country on the path to progress and the PTI had succeeded in that regard.
He said the PTI, which was the party of middle-class people, was in power today and it would bring about change in the existing political culture. Traditional politicians had caused immense loss to the country through their corruption and high-handedness, he added.
Citing the government’s achievements on the economic front, he said a vivid change was happening every day. A country like France had changed its travel advisory while others were ready to do so due to the improved political situation in Pakistan. The government was willing to ease visa restrictions in order to attract tourists and more investment in the country.
Countries like the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union were willing to invest in Pakistan, he added. The minister said landmark decisions were expected in the Al Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment corruption references against Nawaz Sharif on Monday (tomorrow). The verdicts were quite obvious as the owners had failed to defend their properties, he said in response to a question.
To a question, Fawad lamented the self-centered politics of the leadership of both the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Nawaz Sharif wanted the people to take to roads in order to save his properties in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom while Asif Ali Zardari was urging the masses to start a movement for rescuing the `innocent’ Anwar Majeed.
He said Nawaz Sharif and his sons had properties worth billions of rupees in Dubai and the United Kingdom, and they had nothing to prove their source of income, while Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Zardari, and Saad Rafique were also claiming themselves to be innocent.
If they had not committed any corruption then who was responsible for the country’s sorry state of affairs, he questioned. He said it was quite interesting that the common people did not know how the money had come into their bank accounts and what were the sources of their income.
The talented parents had filled the bank accounts of their children, he added. About Khawaja Saad Rafique, he said the PML-N member was speaking at the floor of National Assembly just two days after he was remanded in the custody of National Accountability Bureau.
To a question, the minister said all villains had got together and nobody was the hero among them. About the nomination of Hamza Shehbaz as Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Fawad said it was unfortunate that a younger brother (Shehbaz Sharif) would investigate the corruption committed by the elder (Nawaz Sharif), while a son (Hamza Shehbaz) was to look into the misdoings of his father (Shehbaz Sharif) in the Punjab Assembly.
If Shehbaz Sharif was appointed Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly then the Punjab Assembly was supposed to follow suit, he added.
The minister said the government was all set to introduce new local government system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab during next fiscal year. He said it was important to bring changes in the old system and the parliament must play its role to address the challenges being faced by the country rather than discussing and defending the people.
Regarding legislation, the minister said the problem was not of making laws but of their implementation.
To a question, he said the Model Town case should come to its logical conclusion. It was unfortunate that the main accused was sitting in the National Assembly while the relatives of those, who were killed in the incident, were on roads to seek justice. Fawad said NAB was doing its job well but there was still room for improvement in its working.