ISLAMABAD   -   Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz on Saturday expressed the determination to bring legislation in the parliament for reforms and welfare of masses.

Addressing a news conference, the minister said that the PTI has now emerged as the largest party both in the National Assembly and the Senate. He pointed out that the opposition parties obstructed our legislation in the Upper House during the last two and a half years.

Shibli Faraz said, “We respect parliament and we can only restore its dignity if it takes the decision in the interest of masses,” he said. “We are ready to sit with the opposition on the matters of economic, electoral and judicial reforms.” He, however, made it clear that no NRO will be given to the corrupt political leaders.

The information minister regretted that the opposition parties are now trying to make controversial the election of Chairman and Deputy Chairman Senate. He said the elections were held in a free and transparent manner and that these were not influenced.

He said the opposition parties will have to see beyond their personal vested interests. He said these parties may go ahead with their planned long march but they will not get any support from the masses. He said those in the PDM have conflicting interests and they stabbed each other in the elections of Chairman and Deputy Chairman Senate. 

The information minister said the economy is gaining strength as a result of our policies. “We have stabilised the economy.” He said the country is witnessing record remittances. He said the government is fully cognizant of inflation and Prime Minister Imran Khan is daily monitoring the situation. He said targeted subsidies will be given to the deserving families.

The information minister said the government has taken practical steps for the uplift of the areas neglected in the past. He said South Balochistan was recently given a package of Rs632 billion whilst the tribal districts have also been given a budget for development. He said it is also the first time in the history that a candidate from the tribal districts was elected as the Deputy Chairman Senate. Responding to a question about the rising cases of coronavirus, the minister appealed to the people to observe SOPs.

‘Public welfare legislation’

He said unfortunately the PTI was a minority party in the Senate and it could not introduce legislation required to implement its manifesto but now it would introduce bills for reformation in the system. The minister said that the opposition parties did not bother to cooperate for public welfare legislation as they were interested only in their own welfare.

That was the reason they sent only those in the Parliament who could protect the interests of the opposition parties leadership, he added. The minister said that the Prime Minister Imran Khan was striving that the criteria for becoming a member of the parliament should be eligibility and not wealth so that the public welfare related legislation and reformation of the system should be done.

He said that FATA merger with the KPK was also a big achievement for which credit went to KP government, bureaucracy and local people. The minister said that the PTI nominated Sadiq Sanjrani for the post of Senate Chairman as Imran Khan wanted to give representation to Balochistan.

Shibli Faraz said that as the former rulers could not take steps to resolve people’s problems and now their parties, PPP and PML-N had become regional parties. The PPP was a party of the entire federation but now it had shrunk to rural Sindh whereas PML-N had also become a regional party, he added.

Replying to a question, Senator Shibli Faraz said that the chairman and deputy chairman elections were held as per the Senate rules and hence the related matter was its own business. The minister explained that Friday’s election was not a common election: it was an election of a member from within the House members and it was a reality.  However, Shibli Faraz added that no one could be stopped from going to the courts while referring to the opposition’s decision to move a court of law against the rejection of seven votes.

The minister said that there was Article 69 and considered opinion of many legal experts and that what was related to the Parliament and this also be clear that when the election of the senators was held, it was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan, whereas the election of chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate was a business of the House.

To a question about the opposition’s statement of bringing a no confidence motion, Shibli Faraz said that it was their legal and democratic right and they could not be stopped from this, and the government would counter it when that stage would come.

He clarified that by his statement of using every possible and legal means for win of the government candidates meant that all the possible legal, constitutional and moral means would be employed.

The minister said the opposition on the other hand, would resort to enticing and offering bribes to win support of members.

‘Spy cameras’

About the discovery of spy cameras in the polling booth, he said that it would be probed and there was a need to know who were behind it and how they managed to install them. To another question, the minister said that the prime minister had not yet been administered Covid-19 vaccine while he (Shibli) and his family were also yet to be vaccinated, as this had been prioritised for frontline health workers in the first phase.