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.
