Kashmir issue is above politics: Firdous

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Monday said the Kashmir issue is above politics as there is complete unanimity of views of the nation on this vital issue.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has been advocating the cause of Kashmiris at the international level, she said while addressing the Kashmir Solidarity Conference organised here by the Mashaikh and Ulema Council.
Dr Awan said that the joint statement of Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva and the communiqué of Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemning Indian human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir are Pakistan's diplomatic victory and India's worst defeat.
Earlier, Dr Awan in a number of tweets said that the government's steps for prosperity of the people and national development have started yielding positive results. She said that the government is implementing an agenda of economic reforms under the leadership of the Prime Minister and taking steps to invigorate the economy.
She said that enhancement of tax revenue and reduction in fiscal deficit are the priorities of the government. She said that the government collected Rs 580 billion tax in the first two months of the current fiscal year against Rs 509 billion collected in the corresponding period of the last year. She revealed that 600,000 new tax filers have been added to the FBR network.
Dr Awan said that credit for this success goes to the Prime Minister, who for the first time, transformed tax revenue collection into a national movement.
She said it is for the first time that income of the national kitty, not of rulers, is increasing, adding that this is good news for the country and the nation. She said 73 percent reduction in current account deficit is a major achievement.
She said there has been a significant increase in exports and decrease in imports. She said that Rs 70 billion have been collected from two cellular companies under license renewal fee, and another Rs 70 billion would also accrue from another cellular company. As a whole, Rs 200 billion will be received from this sector, she added.
She said that the government is striving to promote economic activities and facilitate the business community.
Dr Awan said that the government has reduced its expenditures. No supplementary grant was approved during the two months, and the government saved Rs 246 billion due to appreciation in the currency value during the last few weeks, she added.
She expressed confidence that the government will be able to collect Rs 1,000 billion non-tax revenue this year, which would include Rs 200 billion from the cellular companies, Rs 400 billion from profits of State Bank of Pakistan and Rs 300 billion from privatization of re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) plants.