LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan has said the Pakistan Army is anchoring everything in the country, including the government.

Speaking at a news conference at chief minister’s secretariat here on Monday, he said the Pakistan Army was behind every people-friendly activity, ranging from flood relief, census and other national causes.

Stating that young army officers were laying down their lives to ensure that all Pakistanis lived in peace, he added, “Pakistan mein jo aman hai, iss ke peechay wardi hai” (Pakistan Army is behind the peace in Pakistan).

In the backdrop of arrest of her husband retired Capt Safdar in Karachi earlier in the day, the minister demanded PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz should also be arrested for what he called “violating the sanctity of the Quaid-e-Azam’s mazar”.

He was of the view that Ms Nawaz was out to ruin the PML-N by involving herself in “every wrongdoing”.

Referring to “vote ko izzat do” slogan, which has become PML-N’s clarion call, Mr Chohan sarcastically said it seemed the party leaders had renamed the Sharif family as “vote”.

The information minister again alleged Ms Nawaz was pursuing the cause of Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) against Pakistan’s state institutions.

Answering a question regarding Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent announcement that none of the opposition’s imprisoned leader would be called to attend assembly session through production order, the minister said the production orders were issued for political prisoners, “not criminals”.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2020