SIALKOT - Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said yesterday that authorities concerned had been directed to ensure gas supply to people’s households even if it means curbing the supply to CNG stations.
Addressing a press conference here at Koobey Chak, she said the step had been taken after directions issued by Prime Minister Imran Khan to maintain uninterrupted gas supply to domestic consumers.
Firdous maintained that there were false claims being propagated regarding hike in gas prices.”The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) is merely a regulator which, keeping in mind ground realities, forwards its input to the government. The prime minister is aware of the people’s problems and the government understands that citizens cannot bear to take on more expenses at the moment,” she added.
“We cannot act on the recommendations put forth by the authority. We must come up with a realistic strategy so that we do not put additional burden on the nation,” she said.
She stated that a cold wave had gripped the country due to which there had been an increase in demand for gas.”Keeping this in mind, there has been a 12 per cent increase in gas pressure while overall utilisation had increased by almost 2.5 percent as compared to last year.”
Dr Awan said Founder of Pakistan Quaid-I-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s Two-Nation Theory had won hearts in India and the Indian people were now remembering the heroes of this Two-Nation Theory. Modi’s Hindutava ideology had miserably failed in India. The most condemned Indian Citizenship Law has raised the curtain from the Abhorring face of world’s biggest democracy India. She said Indian Prime Minister Modi’s extremist policies had also ruined India’s secular status in the world.
Firdous added that India had now become an extremist state due to Modi’s policies of extremism, conflict and confrontation.
She said Modi tried to impose Indian Citizenship Law in entire India, due to which people were out on roads in India and unitedly opposing Modi’s extremist agenda.
She said Indian masses had strongly rejected this extremist ideology of Modi Sarkar.
“India is facing internal conflicts and confrontations. So New Delhi is trying to divert world’s attention by promoting disinformation and targeting the civilian population through unprovoked shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) and killing innocent people there,” she said.
Firdous also lashed out at the opposition, saying those who robbed and plundered the country were now posing as people’s representatives. Calling out Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, she claimed that the PPP remembers Benazir Bhutto, whose death anniversary falls on Dec 27, during elections or when it is in need to win people’s favour.
“Those who were brought in to politics on recommendations are now calling the prime minister ‘selected’,” she said, responding to Bilawal’s frequent use of the word. Awan added that the opposition was continuing to denounce democracy during Imran Khan’s tenure as it was not the type of democracy they wanted.
“The prime minister is not in favour of the type of democracy where you worry about the wellbeing of your own children and not that of the nation’s children. Your own conduct is undemocratic.”
“You should be democratic to your own province,” she asked the PPP.
Commenting on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz petition, through which she has moved the court for removal of her name from the exit control list (ECL), she said, “During elections you used to tout the slogan ‘Vote Ko Izzat Do’ [give respect to the vote]. You claimed that you will stand by the people during their hardships. So why are you all fleeing one by one?”
“Imran Khan is the saviour this country needs. He will enable the nation to stand on their own feet,” she concluded.
Awan also strongly criticised the PML-N leadership for its double diplomacy over the burning issue of special court’s verdict against General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf. She said the PML-N was playing double game over this issue, as the party got entangled between Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif. She said the PML-N was now much confused over this burning (Pervez Musharraf) issue. She said both Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif were giving different statements in this matter, which revealed that the PML-N was confused.
Dr. Awan added that silence of Nawaz Sharif over this issue was agenda of the PML-N, which was carrying the personal political gains of the ‘Sharif Brothers’ as well.
She said the prevailing scenario was writing new chapters of country’s political history.
The SAPM said that Nawaz Sharf, being then prime minister, had submitted high treason case against General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf, with his ambitious intentions against Musharraf.
“Now, Nawaz Sharif’s silence is saying something different than statements of Shehbaz Sharif,” she added. She said, “It is not new, the PML-N has always done politics of their personal gains ignoring the national interests”.
She said the PML-N was adopting double standards political diplomacy over General (Retd) Perez Musharraf issue. She stated, “The PML-N is totally confused, as the entire leadership of Nawaz-League is the prisoner of their personal political gains.”
Govt to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to households