ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb Tuesday said incompetence, ineptness and bullying were the hallmarks of former prime minister Imran Khan, who had deprived the masses of affordable daily use commodities.
Addressing a news conference, she said Imran had become a brand name for incompetence. Browbeating, bullying and hurling of threats by Imran Khan would no more work as now he would have to account for the problems being confronted by the country due to his four years of misrule and incompetence.
Imran was in the dock, he should answer about price hike, loadshedding, increase in foreign debts and high flying dollar as the same were the result of his bad governance, she added.
Marriyum said the present government wanted to give relief to the people, whose lives were made miserable by the Imran Khan-led regime. Imran would soon become a relic of the history as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif through his day and night efforts would provide solace to the people.
When questioned about the source of foreign funding, Imran threatened the Election Commission of Pakistan of dire consequences, she said.
The minister told the media that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed that there should be zero loadshedding from May 1.
She said for provision of relief to the people, the government had reduced the prices of flour, ghee and sugar.
She said the last Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had added 14,000 MW electricity to the system. Twenty out of 27 dysfunctional power plants had been made operational and availability of fuel to them would be fully ensured by May 7.
Lashing out at Imran Khan, she said the former prime minister destroyed economy, rendered nearly six million people jobless, increased prices of commodities to unprecedented level and borrowed record over $43,000 billion debt, besides selling Kashmir (to India) during his four-year rule.
Instead of holding protest demonstrations, Imran should better stop telling lies and inform about the sources of his foreign funding, she added.
Quoting Khawaja Asif’s saying ‘Koi Sharam Hoti Hay, Koi Haya Hoti Hay’, she said Imran had the audacity to blame the present government for power load-shedding, unemployment and shortage of diesel.
She said Imran Khan should answer about the money laundering of $ 7 million in 16 dubious accounts, which the PTI had not declared. Instead of answering the vital question, Imran had launched a vilification campaign against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and attacked the ECP.
She said Imran Khan, who was responsible for sky rocketing prices of wheat flour, sugar, electricity and gas, should answer misappropriations in the foreign funding case after eight years.
Imran Khan could not force the government to announce early elections, which would be held at an appropriate time, she added.
The minister said Imran Khan remained imposed for about four years only to destroy the economy and plunge the country into darkness. He victimized the media, imposed restrictions on journalists and brazenly violated the Constitution.
She lauded the steadfastness of media persons and traders who fought the fascist government of Imran Khan.
Answering a question, Marriyum said Prime Minister Shehbaz had also issued strict directions against the hoarders of diesel, who were causing problems for farmers in harvesting their crops.
The PM directed the concerned to show zero tolerance against hoarding of diesel, she added.
To another question, she said the prime minister, his cabinet members, and even allies were visiting Saudi Arabia on their own expenditure instead of burdening the national exchequer. She also made it clear that no journalist was visiting the holy land on the government expenditure.
She said Saudi Arabia’s visit had a great strategic importance as it would help explore avenues of cooperation in various sectors, including agriculture and industrial zones.
She criticized former minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain for hurling accusations against the journalists.
“Imran had made foreign visits on the government’s expenditure, but the prime minister is visiting Saudi Arabia on personal expenses. Imran spent some Rs 1 billion on his helicopter joy riding,” she added.
To a query, she said assets beyond means cases would be instituted against former first lady’s front-person Farah Gogi and Shahzad Akbar.
At the very outset of news conference, she expressed her grief over the loss of lives in the Karachi suicide blast. PM Shehbaz Sharif in collaboration with the Sindh government was taking measures to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future, she added.
