ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has claimed that the opposition parties did not have the guts and prowess to overthrow the present democratically-elected government with their so-called protest movement.
Replying to questions during the media briefing on the decisions of the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday, he said for agitation in politics, there was a need for leadership which the opposition lacked.
Read more: ‘Historic achievement’: Cabinet approves Pakistan’s first National Security Policy
“The opposition leadership can give their party workers only false hope.”
Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf accompanied the minister in a media briefing.
Chaudhry said that an opposition leader like PM Imran was needed who upset the then government with his bold and courageous leadership. Most opposition leaders were ‘daily-wagers’ who only wanted to pass time, he added.
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was giving timelines to topple the government for the past three years, said the minister.
He recalled that when the PTI came to power, Maulana Fazal in the very first year reached Islamabad along with his supporters with the false hope to topple the government.
“Since then, he has been giving the dates.”
Rana Shamim affidavit
On Rana Shamim affidavit case in the Islamabad High court, Chaudhry said that it was proved beyond any iota of doubt that how big Sicilian mafia Nawaz and family were.
He insisted that Nawaz would never return home voluntarily, rather the government would bring him back after the finalization of the agreement with the UK government.
The minister said when former Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq stated bringing Nawaz back, the Sharif family somehow got worried.
To another question, he said that no mini-budget was in the offing as only adjustments would be carried out.
He said that the government was forced to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to the loot and plunder of former regimes of Asif Zardari and Nawaz and asked the opposition to come up with an alternative solution if they had any instead of point-scoring.
He said the bill would be presented in the ongoing session of the Parliament as an initial discussion on the draft was held in the Cabinet meeting.
Sharing details of the decisions taken by the Federal Cabinet, he disclosed that it approved the country’s first-ever national security policy.
Read more: Armed forces to ‘play’ its role in achieving NSP’s vision: DG ISPR Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar
For the first time in the national security policy, the minister said the economic strategy had been linked with geostrategic policy, adding if the economy of a country was not strong, then its security could not be guaranteed. “Until the common man is satisfied with the economic, social and legal situation, the security of the country will remain in danger”, he said.
Chaudhry said national security policy focused on the common man.
