ISLAMABAD: The minister for information said that Shehbaz Sharif will continue serving as head of the government, as the parliament of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) stood firm behind him.
In an interview with television, Marriyum Aurangzeb addressed the protest proposed by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) outside the Supreme Court, saying it was their democratic right to “present their point of view.”
Aurangzeb expressed regret that Imran Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), who was apprehended by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in an Rs60 billion graft case, had been granted interim bail in all other pending cases.
She condemned the violent acts committed by PTI workers following Khan’s arrest and vowed to bring those involved in subversive activities to justice.
The minister refuted allegations that the government had any plan to re-arrest Khan and said that the NAB acted independently in his case. She also criticised the tenure of the opposition party, accusing Khan of victimising political opponents and deploying people to attack public and private places.
Aurangzeb paid tribute to law enforcement agencies for showing restraint during the recent protests and emphasised that the establishment of the state’s writ was not the government’s responsibility alone.
She also declared that the holding of elections was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), not the government.
The minister said that action was being taken against protestors who had taken the law into their hands in the last three days and claimed that Khan and his wife, Bushra Maneka, were accused of corruption in the Rs60 billion land trust case.
