Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said that PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has become a “self-appointed prime minister while sitting at home.”
Addressing a press conference, flanked by Energy Minister Hammad Azhar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill, Fawad vowed that the “dream of the Opposition to oust the premier will be shattered” on Sunday when the members of the Parliament will gather in the house to vote for the no-confidence motion against the prime minister.
“Each minute of the next 48 hours is very important,” he said.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also announced that he was being given the additional charge of the law ministry tomorrow following the resignation of Barrister Farogh Naseem earlier this week.
Naseem had resigned as the law minister on Wednesday after his party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) parted ways with the PTI-led coalition government and threw its weight behind the opposition ahead of a no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Along with Naseem, the MQM-P’s Aminul Haque had also resigned as the federal minister for information technology and telecommunication.
Taking a jibe at the confidence of the Opposition leaders, Fawad said that while Shahbaz is dreaming of becoming the prime minister of the country, his son [Hamza Shahbaz] is eyeing the seat of chief minister in Punjab.
Fawad further added that the government is planning to file a petition to cancel the bail orders of both Shahbaz and Hamza.
Talking about the “foreign conspiracy” under debate after PM Imran Khan claimed that the country has received a “threat letter”, the information minister said the leaders of the Opposition are part of the conspiracy.
“Pakistanis will never allow somebody sitting outside of the country to change the political dynamics here,” he said, questioning how is it possible that somebody who is living abroad initiates a movement in the Parliament.
Regarding the “threat letter”, Fawad recalled that the leader of the Opposition had said that if the government unmasks the letter they [the Opposition] will support them; however when he [Shahbaz] was invited to see the letter, he did not show up “because he knows everything regarding the letter as he is a part of the conspiracy.”
Regarding former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s statement on Thursday, when she said that the premier has “sabotaged the Pakistan-US relationship by accusing the former,” Fawad said that during PPP’s tenure, Khar did not even know the details of the drone attacks.
“We will neither allow anybody to sell Pakistan nor will be bow down before anybody,” he reiterated.
Speaking about the dissident PTI MNAs, the minister said that action will be taken against all these members.
He urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the plans of foreigners to overthrow the government and how the conscience of the people is awakened.
Regarding the threat to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s life, Fawad said that “necessary steps have been taken for the security of the premier.”
Taking over the press conference, Hammad Azhar assured the masses that the PTI will not allow any “puppet government” to be installed in Pakistan.
“Shahbaz, during his press conference, praised himself and his party,” Azhar said. “But contrary to that, the country’s foreign exchange reserves increased during PML-N’s tenure,” he claimed.
The energy minister added that it was because of the PML-N government that Pakistan was placed on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list.
“It was the PTI-led government that accepted the challenge and fulfilled most of the conditions set forth by the body for Pakistan to be removed from the grey list,” he said.
Aside from that, he said that it was the PTI government that entered a deal with Qatar to import the cheapest re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) for the country.
“As opposed to that, the PML-N government had struck expensive LNG deals during its tenure,” Azhar maintained. “This country cannot afford to tolerate these politicians for another period.”
For his part, SAPM Gill, while taking a swipe at Shahbaz, said that the “prime minister of kids” held a press conference today.
“The [Opposition] had been trying its best to present this person as the prime minister,” Gill said, adding that he could foresee the dreams of the “kids’ prime minister” shattering into pieces on Sunday.
Poking fun at the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, the SAPM went on to say that if he becomes the premier, then “Maqsood Chaprasi should become the deputy prime minister”.
