LAHORE/MUZAFFARGARH: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi predicts the PPP will review its decision of holding Feb 27 long march as it did earlier in the Senate to allow the government to get the SBP Amendment bill passed.

“If Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari holds the long march, PTI Sindh president Ali Zaidi will lead a procession from Ghotki and they will come face-to-face somewhere in between,” Mr Qureshi told reporters in Multan on Sunday.

The minister said the joint opposition under the PDM had already collapsed as Maulana Fazalur Rehman had asked Mr Bilawal and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif to take action against their members who skipped the Senate session.

Mr Qureshi said even if Opposition Leader Yousaf Raza Gillani got the Senate session agenda late night, he could have reached Islamabad by road in just five hours.

The foreign minister also responded to PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah’s statement that his party would besiege judges and courts in case of adverse decision about Shehbaz Sharif and urged the judiciary to take suo motu notice of the threat.

He said the PTI wanted to create the south Punjab province but it needed PML-N and PPP support for the passage of the constitutional amendment with a two-thirds majority. He also asked the media to question PML-N and PPP leaders why they were reluctant on a separate province.

“The PTI government will table the separate province constitutional amendment bill and the opposition parties be welcomed to improve it,” he said.

He said the PM’s visit would offer opportunities to talk to the Chinese leadership on strengthening mutual relations, opening more avenues for bilateral trade and Chinese investment in Pakistan. He said Pakistan’s role in the region would also be discussed.

Stating that the resurgence of terrorism would also be discussed, Mr Qureshi said the government knew that there were spoilers who were financing terrorism in Pakistan. “The Pakistan government had prepared a detailed dossier on terrorism activities in Pakistan and presented it to the United Nations, Security Council and all the foreign ministers,” Mr Qureshi said.

He said foreign ministers of Islamic countries were being invited for a meeting on March 22 and 23 to discuss the issues faced by the Ummah.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2022