LAHORE: Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry says top PPP and the PML-N leaders are asking for the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and instigating their workers to maneuver relief for them.

“Democracy doesn’t mean covering up crimes but to hold corrupt accountable,” Mr Chaudhry told reporters at a ceremony organised to pay tribute to noted journalist, poet and writer Munnu Bhai on his first death anniversary on Saturday. The information minister said political parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, were a reality and important for country’s entity. Apart from the NRO issue, he said, politics would progress and there was no crisis in the country.

In Sindh, he said, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was facing serious allegations and added that the Supreme Court asked that neither any high-profile criminal be put behind bars in Sindh nor any investigations be held along with the provincial government.

“This is a serious no-trust shown by the apex courts about governance in Sindh,” he said.

About army courts’ extension, he said, three major parties’ consensus was needed to make amendment in the Constitution. He said political parties should rise above their party agendas and take consensus decisions for the betterment of Pakistan.

“The government will accept, if the PPP or the PML-N give a better proposal,” he said.

Mr Chaudhry said the CPEC planning in charge would unveil new CPEC plans explaining PTI’s vision beyond infrastructures.

About the dam fund, the minister said the new chief justice would decide whether it would continued to be called “Prime Minister and Chief Justice Dam Fund” or as Prime Minister’s Dam Fund. He said the collection was on target Rs9 billion had been collected in four months out of Rs30 billion target for a year. “The dams should not be politicized,” he stressed and added that water was need of every person in the country.

Mr Chaudhry lauded Munnu Bhai’s services and recalled his meetings and added that the government would help the charity by Sundas Foundation.

Governor Chaudhry Sarwar was the chief guest while journalists, including I A Rahman and Hussain Naqi, former information minister Pervaiz Rashid and dramatist Asghar Nadeem Sayed attended the seminar. Columnist Hassan Nisar presided over the ceremony.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2019