ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Sunday termed the Fathers’ Day meeting between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Maryam Nawaz of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) at Raiwind a bid to conceal “corruption” of their fathers.

Speaking at a news conference at the National Press Club, she said: “Today, both [Bilawal and Maryam] exchanged tips on how to protect the ‘illegitimate’ assets of their fathers.”

Ms Awan said she, federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed and SAPM on Youth Affairs Usman Dar had prepared references against the PML-N and PPP leaders involved in corruption in their relevant ministries during the last decade so that they could be presented before the inquiry commission recently announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan in his late-night address to the nation.

PM’s aides to file references against PPP, PML-N leaders before commission of inquiry recently announced by PM

“Usman Dar has collected evidences against former defence minister Khawaja Asif and Murad Saeed will expose corruption of Ahsan Iqbal while I will present before the commission what has happened in the information ministry in the past,” she added.

Talking about federal budget 2019-20, she said the government presented the budget to provide ease to the people and make the country stand on its own feet, but the opposition was creating hurdles in the way of its smooth passage. “We will manage to pass the budget in parliament with the support of our [ruling PTI’s] allies.”

The SAPM said the meeting between Bilawal and Maryum endorsed the narrative of the prime minister that the country was going to become economically strong and “temporary” difficult economic phase would be over soon. “Meeting of nominated crown prince and princes at Raiwind endorse narrative of Imran Khan that he will fight the case of people at all fronts,” she added.

Talking about the opposition’s plan to take people to the streets, she said that “we have no political threats from sinking boats” and if they [opposition] misguided the people it would be the responsibility of the government to expose their lies and take them to task.

Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Sumsam Bukhari in a statement issued in Lahore said the getting together of PML-N and PPP explained the biggest contradiction of the century, alleging that during their meeting both were exploring “new tactics of corruption”.

Commenting on the meeting between Maryam and Bilawal at Jati Umra, Mr Bukhari said both opposition parties were trying to finalise matters over “charter of protection of corruption”. He said the PML-N and PPP leaders had registered cases of corruption against each other. Now they should tell whether they were wrong in the past or their point of view is baseless presently, he added.

The information minister said it would have been far better for Maryam to apologise to her voters than being involved in a dirty competition of lies with Bilawal. He expressed his surprise that those who were critics of Takht-i-Lahore were now being invited to the same place. He said Bilawal had forgotten all speeches made by his father against the Sharif brothers. He said the “underhand dealings” between the PPP and PML-N were exposed in 2013.

Mansoor Malik from Lahore also contributed to the report

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2019