Government focuses on improving economy, investment climate: Pervaiz

The government is focusing on a strategy to improve the economy and investment climate as well as develop infrastructure and human resources in the fiscal year 2014-15. This was stated by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid here on Thursday after attending the concluding session of a workshop on budget reporting organised by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). Network
He strongly criticised the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and claimed that Imran Khan would face defeat in the 2019 elections as well due to his non-seriousness towards resolving the problems facing the general public. He said Imran Khan was not paying heed to resolve the problems being faced by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). "The KPK government is being governed by Imran Khan from his Bani Gala residency situated in Islamabad," he said.
Rashid lamented that the innocent children were died after taking measles vaccine in KPK; however, Khan did not visit a single victim family. He questioned what action has been taken by the KPK government against the responsible of this tragic incident? Though the Khan enjoys the mandate in KPK, yet his government failed to launch any big development project like metro bus project of the Punjab government, he said.
These are the grounds which would become reason for the PTI's defeat in 2019 general elections, he added. The PTI instead of admitting its ineligibility to resolve public sufferings would again protest with a slogan that the elections 2019 would be rigged. Rashid said Khan should informed the nation about the last time he went to inquire the health of an injured soldier.
Khan claimed that war against terrorism was America's war, then whose war was being fought by those who attacked mosques, military installations and schools in Pakistan, the said added. The Chief Minister as per the Constitution must be sovereign, unfortunately the KPK's CM is not enjoying the sovereignty as he is always running between Islamabad and Peshawar, he added.
Pervaiz Rashid in a clear word said: "Those who are demanding imposition of ban on TV channel, including Imran Khan, the government should not do it." He said that he wanted to see media in Pakistan being strengthened and added that if a TV channel makes a mistake shutting it down is not the solution. About news reports pertaining to new taxes to be imposed in the budget 2014-15 printed in different newspapers, the minister said that such kind of news was negatively impacting the country's economy.
Rashid said the government was pursuing a comprehensive strategy to bring improvement in investment, infrastructure and human resource development and energy sector. The philosophy of the upcoming budget is not to invest on loss making government's institutions. Several electricity generation projects are under progress to generate 24,000 MW of electricity and hopefully 80 percent of them would be completed during five years tenure of the incumbent government of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Energy generation projects like Bhasha Dam and Dasu Dam take time but they would be completed after two to three years when the PML-N would complete its term, the Minister said.
The electricity generation capacity would be enhanced at a scale, which is far better than total electricity generation capacity of last 60 years, the minister said. He said electricity to be generated through Nandipur Power project that would help in decrease power outage in the country. The previous government had given sovereign guarantees to private power generation companies. The companies would sue in any international court, if the government had not cleared power sector circular debt.
Even single megawatt of electricity was not generated during last 10 years, however, the incumbent government added thousands of megawatts into the national grid in mere 11 months time. Highlighting the government initiatives to bring improvement in different sectors, the minister said that significant progress witnessed in banking and telecommunication sectors. The Information Minster said the incoming budget will be crystal clear and transparency on it will be visible to everyone. He said: "The government wants peace with our neighbours due to poor law and order situation no investor wanted to invest in Pakistan." Replying to a question, the minister said that the government is holding peace talks with Taliban groups who are ready to hold talks whereas the operation has been carried out against those who are not ready to talk.