Observer Report
Islamabad
Information and Broadcasting Minister Senator Shibli Faraz on Monday revealed why the PTI-led government could not hold talks with two of the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) leaders including the PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz and the JUI-F’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Addressing the media here in the federal capital, Shibli Faraz said neither of the two Opposition leaders were in the Parliament, which was the real forum to discuss the public’s problems. “Maryam Nawaz and Fazlur Rehman are not in Parliament so the government cannot talk to them,” he said. Faraz was flanked by Water Resources Minister Faisal Vawda and Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry.
The PTI regime would only hold talks with “the responsible individuals who sit in the Parliament”, he said, challenging the anti-government PDM to apprise the Centre of what it planned to do once it had toppled the federal government. The information minister also said the Opposition was geared towards creating chaos in the country to protect their looted money and that those who intended on kicking out an elected government could never favour democracy.
On the other hand, Vawda, the water resources minister, underscored that “if Maryam uses the word ‘fugitive’ for [former military ruler] Pervez Musharraf, then why doesn’t she call her father with the same name?” Radio Pakistan quoted Vawda as observing that although the Opposition parties alleged rigging in the 2018 general elections, none of them had filed a petition at any forum.
