RAWALPINDI: Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan on Saturday admitted that the government had failed to create jobs and control prices.

Addressing a press conference, he blamed the middleman for price hikes and expressed the government’s helplessness against inflation and increasing unemployment, saying the middleman was minting money by taking advantage of the flawed monitoring system.

However, he said the PTI government had taken the issue seriously and assigned provincial ministers with the task to curb inflation.

Criticising the opposition parties, the minister said the politics of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had been exposed after the recent tussle between the PPP and the PML-N.

Says middleman is minting money by taking advantage of flawed monitoring system

“PDM was formed for personal interests of the opposition parties. The purpose of PDM was to get NRO from the government. The PDM wanted to end all investigations by accountability courts. When they are not sincere with each other, how they could work for the people,” he said.

The minister asked the opposition parties to shun the politics of agitation and talk to the government for reforms. “If they are loyal to the country, the opposition parties should support the government on electoral, judicial and economic reforms,” he said.

“PTI had one point agenda to open Senate election to end politics of money,” he said.

“PPP, the main party in the PDM, has been saying from day one that its lawmakers would not resign from parliament,” he said.

Mr Khan said there was division within PML-N, as the politics of Shahbaz Sharif and Hamza Sharif was different from that of Maryam Nawaz as her politics was to create a pressure group.

“Zulfikar Ali Bhutto went to the gallows but did not put pressure on courts. Attacking courts is political terrorism.”

He said media should expose PDM’s drama of trying to spread unrest in the country. He said the PTI government was taking bold steps and had started action those involved in the petroleum crisis. “The FIA is conducting an inquiry so people will know about the mafia,” he said.

Brushing aside the impression that Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani’s role in the selection of Yousuf Raza Gilani as the opposition leader, the minister said ANP, Jamaat-i-Islami and four independent members voted for Mr Gilani for the slot and Mr Sanjrani had no role in it.

To a query about talks between the government and PPP, he said they were not coming close at all.

In response to another question, he said the process of accountability in the country will not stop.

About Ring Road Project in Rawalpindi, the minister said there was a propaganda against the project because no benefit was being given to influential people in the alignment of the road.

To another question, the aviation minister said international organisations had concerns about the issue of pilot licences.

“We have removed the concerns and a delegation from the International Aviation Authority is expected to visit Pakistan in July,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2021