PESHAWAR: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said here on Wednesday that Prime Minister Imran Khan was making serious efforts to make Pakistan a social welfare state and provide financial relief to people.

Addressing a condolence reference in the memory of senior journalists Hafiz Sanaullah and Rahimullah Yusufzai at Peshawar Press Club, he said that despite the challenge of coronavirus, the government successfully carried on progress in fields of health, agriculture and industries to control unemployment and improve country’s economy.

Adviser to Chief Minister on Information Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif was also present on the occasion.

The minister said that government was taking loans in a state of compulsion to pay off old debts. He said that Rs23 trillion had been borrowed during the tenures of Zardari and Nawaz. He said that debt from 1947 to 2006 was Rs6 trillion only.

Fawad terms IMF loan a compulsion

He rejected the objections to International Monetary Fund loans and asked the opposition to suggest any other amicable solution to economic issues of the country.

The minister claimed that the country was successfully moving towards stability under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said that during the tenure of PTI, the country produced the highest yield in agricultural products including wheat, cotton and rice.

Earlier, the minister paid tributes to the services of late journalists. He also appreciated the journalists of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for facing terrorism and enduring hardships in the line of duty.

He said it was good luck of Pakistani nation that a third party emerged in the form of Imran Khan that ended the dominance of two political families and put the country on the right track. He said that credit went to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for leading the process of political change.

The minister said that people of the province had also extended full support to Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah during Pakistan movement. He said that KP government launched free treatment scheme, which was followed by Punjab, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. He said that federal government launched ration system with 30 per cent subsidy to support the low income group.

He said the government was successfully implementing its policies to stabilise the country’s economy. He claimed that all the state institutions were with the government. He added that PTI did not follow the politics of confrontation.

Criticising the opposition parties, he alleged that they had developed assets abroad and did nothing for welfare of the people of the country. He said that those, who had assets abroad, benefited well from the rising value of dollar.

The minister said that role of Sharif family in the national politics was coming to an end and the government would not let it get away without bringing back the looted money. He said that similar was position of Pakistan Peoples Party where Bilawal Bhutto was the only option to lead it. He said that PTI would also form government in next tenure to materialise its policies.

The minister also talked to journalists at Peshawar High Court after appearing in the court. Talking about the disqualification of Faisal Vawda, he said that he would exercise his legal right in the case as he was hopeful to get justice from the court.

Firdous Ashiq Awan was also present on the occasion. She claimed that the government under the leadership of Imran Khan was doing well for welfare of the people despite hardships.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2022