LAHORE: Science and Information Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry has reiterated his claim that trade and air links with India have been severed.

“The decision to close the country’s airspace for India and sever trade links with it has been taken in principle, but its implementation requires a go-ahead from all stakeholders,” Mr Chaudhry told the media here on Monday.

Talking about local politics, he said the government would release former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Zardari provided their respective families repaid the money they had allegedly plundered from the country. “Pay the money and take back your fathers,” he said, addressing Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

The minister said both Maryam and Bilawal would never talk of the rights of the common people on any public forum.

Responding to a query about Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s supposed plans to march on Islamabad, he said that Fazl did not talk about of Kashmir despite being chairman of the National Assembly’s Kashmir Committee for 30 years, but was adamant on “conquering” Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2019