ISLAMABAD - Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid on Saturday said that democracy was inter-linked with the security, particularly in the present scenario.
While speaking to the media persons at the end of the National Security Conference (NSC), the minister brushed aside the notions that the conference was held particularly to tackle with the Azadi March and said that the decision to convene the conference was made long ago. "Many political parties demanded that General Raheel Sharif should brief them about operation Zarb-e-Azb in the North Waziristan and about the targets achieved through the operation," he maintained.
The minister explained that the conference could not be held earlier as the chief of army staff was on a foreign visit.
Replying to a question about permission of Azadi March, the minister made it clear that the government was ready to negotiate for the sake of peace in the country.
Talking about absence of PTI chief Imran Khan from the meeting, he said that Khan should be questioned for not attending the meeting. "He [Imran Khan] questions any step we take, whether it is that of meeting with the IDPs in North Waziristan or celebrating Eid with them," he said.
Talking about demands of PTI, the minister said, "Imran Khan had earlier demanded verification of votes in four National Assembly constituencies but now his demands have gone up to 10 constituencies," he said, adding that in one constituency, the PML-N candidate stood third thus the demand was invalid in that constituency.
While the election tribunal had already ordered for re-counting in two constituencies and the fourth case was pending before the high court, he maintained. Pervaiz termed the demand of re-counting or re-election from the government as unconstitutional and undemocratic, as this was the job of election tribunals and not of the government.