Prime Minister Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Wednesday reiterated that all political forces will have to sit for dialogue to rid the c...
Prime Minister Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Wednesday reiterated that all political forces will have to sit for dialogue to rid the country of the ongoing political and economic crises.
He said that the government will hold the general elections on the scheduled date as per the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The prime minister said the threat of Pakistan defaulting on its debt is now over as a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be finalized soon.
"All political forces will have to sit together to take the country forward," the prime minister said while addressing a meeting held with a delegation of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) at the Prime Minister's House.
Prime Minister Shehbaz lamented that on two occasions in the recent past, he had invited the PTI for meetings but the party did not turn up.
“Though politicians always resort to dialogue, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has not responded positively in this regard in the past,” he noted.
The Prime Minister said that the country was facing serious political and economic problems, but stressed that all components of the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) government coalition had contributed positively to the improvement of the situation.
He regretted that PTI did not even attend the apex committee meeting held in Peshawar after the suicide attack in a mosque on police lines.
At Wednesday's meeting, the overall situation in the country in the fields of politics, economy, foreign affairs and security was discussed in detail.
Speaking about the country's general elections, the Prime Minister said, “There should be no doubt in this regard. We will wholeheartedly participate in the elections and follow what the ECP decides.
He said the decision in this regard rests with the ECP. He, however, added that as the president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, he had directed his party to finalize the names of the aspiring candidates.
He said the government is aware of the fact that early elections have led to a stronger state and its progress.
According to him, within 11 months of taking over the government, the government has successfully overcome the shadows of insolvency.
He regretted that the previous government withdrew from the agreement with the IMF, adding that it was not a private but a state agreement, the non-implementation of which resulted in a great loss to the country.
He expressed confidence that a staff-level agreement with the IMF would be concluded soon.
Shehbaz Sharif recalled that friendly countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and China have extended support to Pakistan in difficult times.
The prime minister slammed former prime minister Imran Khan for his "naked defiance" of court orders and making a mockery of state institutions by not appearing in courts.
"For the first time in Pakistan, a so-called political person is considered above the law... failure to appear in court is tantamount to breaking the law," he said.
He mentioned that PML-N leaders were implicated in false cases by the previous government but still faced the courts.
"The government is not taking action on its own, but is acting on court orders," he said, referring to the police action in connection with the arrest warrants against Imran Khan.
In Toshakhan's case, he said that Imran Khan, who called himself an 'honest man', was actually a liar who even sold wristwatches bearing the Holy Ka'aba model.
Later, Prime Minister Sharif met Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and discussed the census of the province, especially in Karachi. Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai also called on the Prime Minister and discussed the political situation in the country.
No comments
Post a Comment