RAWALPINDI: Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan on Saturday said the government was not targeting anyone on political grounds.

Speaking at a press conference at the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s secretariat on Saturday, the minister said that across-the-board accountability was going on as not only Jahangir Khan Tareen but owners of other sugar mills had been served notices in the sugar scam inquiry.

He said Mr Tareen was still part of the PTI because he had played a vital role in the uplift of the party.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan was making the corrupt elements in the party accountable without any discrimination.

“Action is not only being taken against Mr Tareen in the sugar scam but notices have also been issued to Sardar Nasar Ullah, Pervaiz Elahi and Khusro Bakhtiar and his family,” he said.

He ruled out the possibility of creation of a forward bloc in the PTI.

He said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should immediately de-notify Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders Ishaq Dar and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for their failure to take oath as members of the Senate and Punjab Assembly, respectively.

“According to the ECP rules, an elected public representative will automatically be de-seated if he or she does not take oath within 60 days of his/her election,” he said.

The minister said the ECP should hold a by-election in the constituency from where Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was elected.

He said he had raised voice against placing Pakistan on the red list by Britain to stop spread of coronavirus. He said Pakistan had to hire chartered flights due to a ban imposed by Britain on the Pakistan International Airlines flights.

Mr Khan said the parties in the Pakistan Democratic Movement were wrestling with each other. He said the PDM could not force the prime minister to resign.

He said the PTI’s focus was not the PDM but the real issues of the public such as unemployment and price hike and the government was committed to resolving the issues.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2021