Thursday, 3 April 2014

Iran’s reservations to be allayed: Pervaiz Rasheed



 












ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rasheed on Thursday said that the reservations, apprehensions and doubts expressed by Iran would be addressed as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wanted to visit the brotherly country as soon as possible.
He said that it was ex-president Musharraf who had imposed the Taliban on Pakistan. Talking to media persons at the Parliament House, the minister said the menace of terrorism was inherited by the government while the previous governments did not have the courage to pay attention to it and combat it.

He did not agree with a reporter that the PML-N government wanted to impose the Taliban on Pakistan under the cover of talks with them.The minister said the prime minister was eager to visit Iran early and would allay its reservations, apprehensions and doubts, if any, during talks with the Iranian leadership. He said that gone were the eras when Pakistan was dragged into wars.

Replying to questions, Senator Pervaiz Rashid claimed Pakistan enjoyed brotherly relations with Iran and the prime minister wished to visit the brotherly country early for talks with the leadership there.He said with the vision of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan would be known as a torch-bearer of peace and not as a trader of war.

The minister reiterated that Pakistan believed in non-interference and would not allow anyone to interfere and would also desist from meddling in any other country’s affairs.About the elections in India and Afghanistan, the minister said that the government wanted peaceful co-existence with the neighbouring countries. He added the government looked forward to free and fair elections in Kabul and ready to help out Afghanistan in this context.

He said Pakistan wished a peaceful transfer of power in Kabul, as had been in Pakistan last year after the general elections.The minister claimed it was this government that had taken crucial decisions and measures to address the issue of terrorism, energy crisis and other challenges. He went on to say that there was an improvement everywhere and the world media was praising Pakistan, as Pakistan was today was a more secure country than before.

He said that it was the present government that pushed for engaging the Taliban, and today drone attacks stood suspended after the prime minister and the Foreign Office raised this issue at different fora and proved these were counterproductive. The minister added the government wanted to ensure suspension of drones strikes and an end to terrorist attacks on a permanent basis.About some reports regarding difference of opinion in the ruling PML-N on the issue of Musharraf, the minister said in categorical terms that there was no division on this issue. He added there was a consensus during the consultations that legal opinion should be obtained on the question of removal of his name from the ECL and it was informed that after the Supreme Court’s decision, the government had no right in this connection.

To a question about PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s demand for building a road to his Bani Gala residence, the minister said Imran was doing a very good job and added there was a need for good roads across Pakistan.

There were reports in the media that during the recent visit of the prime minister to Bani Gala, where he held talks with Imran, the PTI chairman wanted rebuilding of the road leading to his residence.The minister said the Lahore-Karachi Motorway project would be started shortly.

Online adds: Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said the government was taking steps to ensure security of media houses and journalists.

Addressing the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Thursday, he said in order to ensure security for journalists, the recommendations of the APNS and press clubs were being implemented. He said journalists would be provided with life insurance.He said dozens of terrorist groups were active. However, the government was committed to rooting out the menace of terrorism from the country.

No comments:

Post a Comment