ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Tuesday said that the far-reaching corrective measures taken by the present government had restored the confidence of the investors and the historic surge in Stock Exchange was its manifestation.
Talking to media persons outside the parliament, he said Pakistan Stock Exchange had gained 1450 points due to positive economic indicators and environment for investment and business in Pakistan was conducive now. He said these indicators would also help attract foreign and local investment in different sectors, generating fresh economic activities and creating jobs for our youth.
He said prime minister's recent visit to Saudi Arabia and his upcoming trip to China would help Pakistan overcome all the economic woes left by the previous regimes.
The minister welcomed Chinese statement on the upcoming visit of prime minister's three-day visit to China starting from Friday and said that it would help open a new chapter of bilateral cooperation with Beijing as strategic and economic partner. It will further help cement time-tested relations between the two friendly countries and bring economic stability at home, said Fawad.
Fawad said the PTI government inherited a huge backlog of foreign loans however, the government had been able to recover from the economic crisis and financial crunch due to better management of state affairs by the prime minister and his team. He said so far only 70 days had passed since PTI came in to power, but it had shown great potential of putting the country on track to progress and prosperity.
About the launch of Prime Minister Citizen Portal, he said that so far over 100,000 complaints had been registered online out of which about 50 percent were about the Punjab and 20 percent about Sindh. He said by the weekend the implementation and redressal status of the complaints would also be uploaded. The minister said this was a landmark achievement as in many advanced counties such technological portals were not being used. The portal will prove a tool to collect data about various departments and officers and help judge their performance, he remarked.
About the issue of transfer of inspector general of Islamabad police, he said minister of state for interior had already complained to prime minister that the IG was not cooperating with him regarding sale of ice drug in capital's schools and colleges and even does not attend phone calls. He said prime minister was the chief executive of the country and the chief minister was chief executive of the province and they were answerable to the people and it was responsibility of the bureaucrats to follow the government policies. The premier had executive powers which he will use, he said.
It was not acceptable that chief secretaries and IGPs do not answer telephone calls of the ministers, he said adding, that the matter was not an issue of the government and opposition, all legislators represent the people and should be given due respect. He said otherwise the concept of parliamentary overview will lose its meanings and the country would become an aristocracy ruled by a few bureaucrats. Fawad said a narrative was being spread that if officers do not receive phone calls from the ministers they will become heroes.
Fawad further said during PTI rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, no police officers were transferred following complaints.
He said the government respected the Supreme Court and would accept and implement its verdict. Commenting on the opposition’s all parties conference (APC), the information minister said, it was being held to seek the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). However he said there will be no NRO.
Talking about former premier Nawaz Sharif's arrival to parliament house, Fawad said, “His political career is over now and he comes to meet people at the Parliament House.”
Responding to a question, he said, if Shehbaz Sharif was appointed chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), will he hold meetings in jail? He said the opposition had no clean people, to forward their names. The minister said the Sharif brothers, Pakistan People’s Party's Co-Chairperson Asif Zardari and Fazlur Rehman did not want cases to be opened against them, however, PM Imran had categorically stated there will be no NRO for anyone.
About the prime minister's Bani Gala residence, the minister said 30 years ago when the house was constructed it did not fall in the jurisdiction of Capital Development Authority and a map was approved from the Mohra Noor Union Council, an authorised body at that time. However, the area was in CDA's jurisdiction now and the house would be regularised as per directives of the apex court.