ISLAMABAD - Federal Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Tuesday said that the helicopter use case being investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is an insult to the prime minister.

Talking to a private TV channel, Fawad while rubbishing the merits of the case said charges were never formalised by NAB in the case. “I think these are excesses by NAB, this is NAB insulting the PM and the system,” he added. “What is this case about? The KP government sent a helicopter to Imran, in which he travelled to inaugurate projects,” he said, adding that making a case out of it has turned it into a laughing matter. “We are not laughing, the world is laughing [at this],” he said.

NAB chairman Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal in February directed the bureau to launch a probe against the PTI chief and then-KP chief minister Pervez Khattak over the unofficial use of two government helicopters by misusing authority. Khattak has already appeared before NAB in the past regarding the case.

Responding to a question, Fawad said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s last government was responsible for crippling economy. He said the former finance minister Ishaq Dar had damaged economy of the country. The PML-N last regime had created the fiscal deficit of worth 28 billion, he stated.

The information minister said it was strange to hear that Khaqan Abbasi and Miftah Ismail had been talking about economy and shifting the blame of destroying the economic situation of this country to each other.

The Opposition, he said, was making hue and cry just to get national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) to get rid of their cases. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government after coming into power had to face economic and other challenges, he added.

Fawad said “We set targets for achieving seven percent growth rate besides alleviating poverty from this country.”

The present government was working on revamping PIA, he said, adding that measures were being taken for establishing a research university while using the premises of PM House. However, he said the premises of PM House could be utilised for multiple purposes.

In reply to a question about selling out luxurious cars purchased by PML-N’s last government, he said such steps were taken to protect the daily wastage of the money. It was the symbolic action taken by PTI government, he added.

To a question about cases filed against Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party leader, the minister said that the cases were made during the period of last governments of PML-N and PPP. It was the modus operandi of PML-N leadership to make hue and cry to protect themselves from their cases, he added.

He further stated the government of PTI did nothing regarding the cases of Nawaz Sharif or filing the cases against the leadership of PPP. The German papers had revealed about the matter of Panama, he added.

Answering the questions of Marriyum Aurangzeb during the private TV programe, he said it was the strategy of the former state minister for information Marriyum Aurangzeb to continue lying before public regarding blunders of her PML-N’s government.

He said the credit goes to government of PTI leadership who was engaged in strengthening the national institutions for producing results without having any political pressure.

To another question, he said that Aleema Khan had her cotton exporting business for the last 20 years in foreign country. He said Marriyum Aurangzeb holds an art to hide her last PML-N government’s flawed policies with much courage.

Raising the concerns over millions of pounds apartments that belonged to Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, he said it was amazing to know about the sons of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who owned millions of pounds assets abroad without any job.

He said they are not blaming Nawaz Sharif for having billions of dollars business like Avenfield, Al Azizia and other similar entities, adding that it was NAB which is dealing with the cases against the former prime minister.

He said that the judiciary was taking the decisions without any pressure and the credit of independently working of the institution goes to PTI government.

Fawad further stated the institutions like NAB, judiciary and others were working in the country with freedom. He said the elements involved in the corruption cases are behind the bars due to strong working of the institutions.

About military courts extension matter, he said “The government would have discussion with Opposition.”