LAHORE: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhary has said that prices of essential items are declining due to effective steps being taken by the government.
Talking to the media persons on Saturday, the information minister said that fruitful results of decrease in petroleum prices will definitely reach the general public. He added that petroleum prices in the international market have come down recently and this impact would appear in a few weeks time on prices in the country.
He said the government is thankful to Saudi Arabia for extending cooperation, adding the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are also being finalised.
He said that the PPP and PML-N governments left huge debts which have burdened the economy to date. However, he added that the present government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan has provided a strong base for development as the country is progressing in all fields.
The information minister appealed to the apex court to take notice of the conspiracies against the honourable judiciary being hatched by some elements. He said that underlying motive of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to make the institutions controversial was geared to obtain relief in cases against them. He said that PML-N generates conspiracy to hit national institutions whenever cases against them are opened.
He said that during their many years rule, they (PML-N) promoted nepotism to further their vested interests. He said that their story started from the affidavit of Rana Shamim and concluded at an alleged audio recording of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar.
The federal minister said it is very obvious that the Sharif family is resorting to such tactics as they have to present the money trail about the purchase of their properties. However, he said that the higher judiciary should take notice and take action accordingly.
Chaudhry said that PML-N won elections in 1990 against PPP through rigging and the apex court had affirmed this. However, he added that it is another matter that PPP has now joined hands secretly with PML-N.
Responding to a query, Fawad said if Maryam Nawaz thinks the audio recording of Saqib Nisar could benefit her case, she should take it to the court.
Later, speaking at a programme in connection with the death anniversary of Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, the information minister said that Maulana Zafar is remembered as ‘Baba-e-Sahafat’ for his great contribution towards journalism during the Pakistan movement.
He said that during the Pakistan Movement, the first ever newspaper was launched from the Lahore city which later became the centre of journalism in the “North India” of that time. Zamindar newspaper was launched in 1903 as a weekly paper in Lahore by Maulana Zafar’s father Maulana Sirajuddin Ahmed. Later, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan took over as editor of the newspaper.
The minister spoke about the Nazria-e-Pakistan Trust and said it has been an active forum for raising awareness especially among youth about the Pakistan movement and its objectives. He suggested that their building should have a museum based on records and history of newspapers’ progress in the region.
