Information minister tells media persons: Industrial sector growing despite Covid-19 impact

ISLAMABAD: Country's economy is heading in the right direction and all indicators are showing a positive trend, Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz said while addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Saturday. Shibli said industrial sector was growing despite adverse impact of Covid-19. The prices of petroleum products would be further reduced for the next month, he told.

The current account deficit has declined for the first time in the history of Pakistan, and now it is showing surplus trend, minister said. Faraz told that Pakistani currency was strengthening and the prices of essential commodities were also decreasing due to the prudent policies of the federal government.

"The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates will win the elections for Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) assembly since the opposition has already "accepted its defeat," the minister said. He thanked the people of G-B for their active participation in the election campaign in a peaceful manner, and welcoming and responding to the message of the leaders and candidates of the ruling PTI.

Faraz said the enthusiastic response of the people of G-B reflected that they had given their verdict in favour of PTI. The information minister said the people of the region during their participation in the campaign expressed their desire to take part in the development of G-B.

Blaming the opposition parties, Faraz said the political parties which ruled G-B in the past did nothing for the prosperity of the people. Criticising the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the minister said the PML-N had forgotten that during its tenure, it completely ignored the citizens of G-B.

"The people of G-B have expressed their love for Imran Khan and the PTI candidates will win, he added. The information minister requested the media to completely cover the election campaign for the G-B assembly set for Sunday.

Rebutting opposition parties' allegations concerning rigging, Faraz recalled that the PTI was a party which struggled for free and transparent elections in the past, and even staged a long sit-in for this end. He said the PTI led the efforts for legislation for transparent elections, and forced the PML-N to carry out electoral reforms.

The information minister told media persons that a special electoral committee was constituted for reforms to ensure a transparent election process which added the people of PMLN.

"The opposition accepts only an election they win; otherwise, they create a drama about rigging," he said. They accept the judges who decide in their favor otherwise they do not accept the decisions.

Faraz said that the opposition were not democratic and even their attitude was not such. He lamented that a political party was asking a specific institution for help to send the elected government home especially the one who has been criticised by their leader.

The information minister said a political party which claimed to be democratic, wanted to insult the public mandate unconstitutionally. He said the PML-N was a 'heredity party' and their so-called claim to be a democratic party was fake statement.

"Prime Minister Imran Khan is the future of Pakistan", Faraz said.

Apropos the economic situation, the minister said Pakistan was on the right path and good news was coming, and more good news would appear in the near future. The minister said even during Covid-19 pandemic our economic situation showed a significant improvement.

The information minister strongly condemned the Indian violations on Line of Control (LoC). He said the government would raise voice at international forums against the violations by the Indian armed forces. Faraz also felicitated the Hindu community on the special occasion of Diwali.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020