Info minister says recent arrests of retired military officers were made after transparent investigations. Lashes out at PTI’ Latif Khosa for issuing remarks about wife of Chief Justice of Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD  -  Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday that under the leadership of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had always done the politics of services to the masses and provided them maximum facilities.

Nawaz Sharif, during his first term as prime minister, initiated mega development projects including South Asia’s first Motorways network in the country, he said while addressing a press conference here.

He said it was Nawaz Sharif who took steps for ease of business, initiated power generation projects and provided facilities to investors. Tarar said that the Punjab government had taken a good step by providing subsidy to electricity consumers.

 “Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz has given a big relief to consumers in Punjab in terms of electricity,”  Tarar said adding it was historic and unprecedented step which would cost Rs 45 billion. He said a former caretaker minister who was also making hue and cry over power tariff, now should come forward and laud the Punjab government’s initiative.

He said that in 2018 when the tenure of the PML-N government ended, inflation was only 4 per cent and GDP growth rate was over 6 per cent. He said that yesterday Nawaz Sharif rightly said that the people were hit by inflation and sky rocketing prices of daily use items during the era when £ 190 million scam emerged, when Tosha Khana and cipher cases emerged and Punjab was at the mercy of  Farha Gogi and bad governance was at its worst.

He said during that time inflation reached 23 percent and the present regime with it hard work had brought it down to 11 percent and there were projections of further decrease. The government has reduced the price of petroleum products as a gift to the nation on the occasion of Independence Day when it was celebrating the victory of Arshad Nadeem in Paris Olympics. Earlier, he said the PM had given Rs 50 billion relief to upto 200 unit power consumers for three months. He said that the package announced by Punjab chief minister would provide Rs 14 relief per unit to consumers using upto 500 units per month.

He expressed the hope that with the steps taken by the federal and Punjab governments, the masses would get considerable relief and situation would further improve in the near future. Pakistan Army has its own mechanism of self-accountability and recent arrests were done after transparent investigations.

He lamented that a political leader had fostered the politics of chaos, anarchy and division in the country and he in collusion with Faiz Hameed conspired to spread unrest in the country and worked against the integrity of the country. Tarar asked who brought back the terrorists in the country.

The founding chairman of PTI had said that the Taliban should come back. “All these people were involved in the efforts of PTI’s founder to spread chaos and anarchy in the country as PTI’s founder chairman did politics of manipulation by nexus.”

He said that those who harmed the peace of the country will meet their fate. He said Imran was mastermind of the plot against the solidarity of the country and recently arrested persons were his companions.

He assured that all those linked with this gang would also be brought to book irrespective of their status.

He said like Pakistan Army, other institutions should also start self accountability process.

The minister said that federal government and Balochistan government had launched a joint venture of 28000 solar tube well programme which would not only save electricity but also provide relief to the farmers.

 Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, he added, had asked for suggestions for right sizing and downsizing. Under this scheme non functional departments were being shutdown to reduce expenditure of the government, he maintained.

About PTI leader Latif Khosa’s remarks about the spouse of Chief Justice of Pakistan, he said such remarks did not suit a learned person like him. He said that Imran and his cronies during PTI rule filed a reference against Qazi Faez Isa and brought his wife Serena Isa in the court. He said instead of accusing Serena, Latif Khosa should remember when an audio call of the mother- in-law of former chief justice was leaked. Tarar said, Khosa should have asked then that PTI cases should not be referred to Umar Ata Bandial as he was biased towards PTI.

Responding to media persons questions, he said that the government was taking both short term and long term steps to reduce power tariff and task force was working on this agenda.

To a question, he said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister should also make announcement for awarding Paris Olympics hero Arshad Nadeem. He also urged the KP government to provide sports facilities to its masses.