Addressing a press conference here, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said everyone knew that whatever Mr Mirza said at his news conference on Sunday was his personal views which had nothing to do with the PPP’s policy. — File Photo

ISLAMABAD: The government said on Tuesday that the outburst of former Sindh home minister Zulfikar Mirza against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement would not derail PPP’s initiative for reconciliation.

Addressing a press conference here, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said everyone knew that whatever Mr Mirza said at his news conference on Sunday was his personal views which had nothing to do with the PPP’s policy.

National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Zafar Qadir and MNA from Kohistan Mehboobullah Jan were present on the occasion.

Describing Mr Mirza’s remarks as a “verbal deluge”, she said the PPP believed in reconciliation and would not allow anyone to promote personal agenda.

She said the remarks had not only been disowned by the party but also condemned.

She said President Asif Ali Zardari had stated clearly that Mr Mirza’s act would not affect Dr Fehmida Mirza politically and she would continue to work as speaker of the National Assembly.

She replied in the negative when asked if the government would constitute a judicial commission to investigate the allegations levelled by Mr Mirza against the MQM and Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

She said the apex court had already taken suo motu notice of the law and order situation in Karachi and could proceed further if it deemed it appropriate.

Moreover, she said, the doors of courts were open for any individual who thought somebody had flouted the law.

She said that 64 people living along the Kandia stream in Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had gone missing after the recent floods. She said 56 bodies had so far been recovered from areas close to the stream.

She said a child who miraculously survived had been found. She said stocks to cater for food needs of the affected people for three months had already been sent to the area where two NDMA helicopters were engaged in relief and rescue operations.

Dr Awan said she would be travelling to China on Wednesday (today) to attend an information ministers’ conference and then to Norway to receive an award on behalf of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The ‘bridge maker award 2011’ has been conferred on the prime minister for his efforts to improve Pakistan’s relations with western countries.