Expulsion of French ambassador: Govt will reach consensus in parliament: Rashid

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Shaikh Rashid Ahmed said on Sunday that government would reach a consensus in parliament regarding expulsion of French ambassador and boycotting French products at state level.

Talking to journalists about an earlier agreement between federal government and Tahreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) over expulsion of French ambassador and boycott of French products, he said: “It would be presented before parliament and decisions would be taken with the approval of the House”.

He said that collapse of multi-party Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would eventually benefit Prime Minister Imran Khan and further strengthen his government.

The minister said the PDM’s long march now became a distant dream as two major parties to the so-called alliance including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) were destined to tread on opposite paths.

Addressing inauguration ceremony of joint collaboration of World Health Organization (WHO) and Directorate of Health (MCI) on raising awareness and providing logistic support for Covid-19 pandemic, he said: “The broken alliance posed no threat to the government anymore”.

The WHO has gifted 20 Suzuki vehicles, 125 motor bikes for outreach immunization services, one Isuzu four door pickups for surveillance of dengue, Covid-19 and polio cases and two ambulances for prompt response in health related emergencies.

On the occasion, Sheikh Rashid also appreciated the Prime Minister Imran Khan and his cabinet members for turning down Economic Coordination Committee’s (ECC) proposal to allow import of cotton and sugar from India.

He reiterated that there would be no bilateral trade with India unless it reversed Article 370 of its constitution that were abrogated by Narendra Modi regime on August, 05, 2019 to revoke special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“We want to cooperate with India but the first condition is that it should go back to pre-August 5 status of Kashmir,” he added.

He added that Kashmir was a jugular vein of Pakistan as every Pakistani in the country and abroad had been raising voice for provision of right to self-determination to the Kashmiris for the last several decades.

He said Kashmir was a matter of life and death for the entire nation, adding, “Pakistani politics revolves around Kashmir dispute.”

He said that inflation would decline in the coming days as Prime Minister Imran Khan would personally monitor the prices of essential food items during the holy month of Ramazan.

To a question, he said the government had not received any application so far from the PML-N, seeking removal of Maryam Nawaz’s name from exit control list (ECL). Major changes were being brought to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021