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'Who do you want to speak to if not PM Imran?': Sheikh Rashid lashes out at opposition
Dawn.comUpdated 14 Dec 2020
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Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed speaks to the media in Islamabad. — DawnNewsTV
Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday lashed out at the opposition, questioning who exactly they wished to speak to if not Prime Minister Imran Khan.
"We are an elected, democratic government and, under the leadership of Imran Khan, we will take this country forward. We don't want to close the doors for dialogue. [The opposition] says it does not want to talk to Imran. Tell us who you wish to speak to so that we can arrange it," he said while speaking to the media in Islamabad.
The minister was referring to statements made by opposition leaders at the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) much-hyped power show at Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore a day earlier.
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD
During Sunday's rally, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had said "the time for dialogue has passed, now there will be a long march". PML-N's Maryam Nawaz had also questioned PM Imran's offer for dialogue through Parliament, asking who was behind the operations of the House.
"The responsibility shown by the people of Lahore [...] if children from madrassahs did not show up for yesterday's rally, [the opposition] would have had to face a lot of disappointment," the interior minister said.
"They had to face the death of their politics at the same place they used to make tall claims."
Commenting on the opposition's decision to submit leaves from parliament en masse, Ahmed simply replied: "You [are] welcome please. Do it. Do it as quick as possible.
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD
"[The opposition] has also said that it will March to Islamabad. Please come. Islamabad is also yours [...] we will do whatever the law and the Constitution allows us to do."
Ahmed stated that the opposition had not said "anything new" at the Lahore rally. However, commenting on the speech made by PkMAP chief Mahmood Achakzai, the minister said that the remarks were "irresponsible".
"All those that lose elections develop mental health issues," he said.
The minister maintained that the opposition was staging rallies only to protect its looted wealth. "They are spending billions [on staging rallies].
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD
"Imran Khan has explicitly said he will leave his seat but will not give the opposition an NRO. He directed me to say this during the press conference [that] the sun can rise from the West and set in the East [...] but he will not give them an NRO."
'PML-N, Nawaz's narrative has no currency'
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad later in the day, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said the narrative of the PML-N and of former premier Nawaz Sharif no longer "has currency".
"It cannot be sold in Punjab or Pakistan," he said, adding that this was the reason that the PDM's Lahore rally was a flop.
"Listen to Maryam's speech from yesterday. All she talked about was herself, her father, her uncle, her brother, [said] Imran Khan is very bad and then the speech ended," he said, adding that there was "no agenda".
He said that those in Parliament needed to review their current strategy. "Only a fool would consider it a weakness when the government talks about dialogue. We want [political unity] and for that it is important to sit down and talk about big issues."
He added that PM Imran has called Parliament an excellent forum for talks.
"PM Imran and the government are not going anywhere and you cannot send them away. Despite this we want the doors for dialogue to remain open," he said. However, the minister made it clear that the opposition will not be given relief when it came to their corruption cases.
Dawn.comUpdated 14 Dec 2020
Facebook Count
Twitter Share
59
Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed speaks to the media in Islamabad. — DawnNewsTV
Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday lashed out at the opposition, questioning who exactly they wished to speak to if not Prime Minister Imran Khan.
"We are an elected, democratic government and, under the leadership of Imran Khan, we will take this country forward. We don't want to close the doors for dialogue. [The opposition] says it does not want to talk to Imran. Tell us who you wish to speak to so that we can arrange it," he said while speaking to the media in Islamabad.
The minister was referring to statements made by opposition leaders at the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) much-hyped power show at Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore a day earlier.
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD
During Sunday's rally, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had said "the time for dialogue has passed, now there will be a long march". PML-N's Maryam Nawaz had also questioned PM Imran's offer for dialogue through Parliament, asking who was behind the operations of the House.
"The responsibility shown by the people of Lahore [...] if children from madrassahs did not show up for yesterday's rally, [the opposition] would have had to face a lot of disappointment," the interior minister said.
"They had to face the death of their politics at the same place they used to make tall claims."
Commenting on the opposition's decision to submit leaves from parliament en masse, Ahmed simply replied: "You [are] welcome please. Do it. Do it as quick as possible.
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD
"[The opposition] has also said that it will March to Islamabad. Please come. Islamabad is also yours [...] we will do whatever the law and the Constitution allows us to do."
Ahmed stated that the opposition had not said "anything new" at the Lahore rally. However, commenting on the speech made by PkMAP chief Mahmood Achakzai, the minister said that the remarks were "irresponsible".
"All those that lose elections develop mental health issues," he said.
The minister maintained that the opposition was staging rallies only to protect its looted wealth. "They are spending billions [on staging rallies].
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD
"Imran Khan has explicitly said he will leave his seat but will not give the opposition an NRO. He directed me to say this during the press conference [that] the sun can rise from the West and set in the East [...] but he will not give them an NRO."
'PML-N, Nawaz's narrative has no currency'
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad later in the day, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said the narrative of the PML-N and of former premier Nawaz Sharif no longer "has currency".
"It cannot be sold in Punjab or Pakistan," he said, adding that this was the reason that the PDM's Lahore rally was a flop.
"Listen to Maryam's speech from yesterday. All she talked about was herself, her father, her uncle, her brother, [said] Imran Khan is very bad and then the speech ended," he said, adding that there was "no agenda".
He said that those in Parliament needed to review their current strategy. "Only a fool would consider it a weakness when the government talks about dialogue. We want [political unity] and for that it is important to sit down and talk about big issues."
He added that PM Imran has called Parliament an excellent forum for talks.
"PM Imran and the government are not going anywhere and you cannot send them away. Despite this we want the doors for dialogue to remain open," he said. However, the minister made it clear that the opposition will not be given relief when it came to their corruption cases.
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