ISLAMABAD: Newly-appointed Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday said that government would not stop the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) from holding public gathering in Lahore on December 13. Rashid, while addressing a press conference after assuming charge, said the government would not block opposition parties from holding a public gathering in Lahore.

However, he said the opposition parties would fail in their design and would not cause any harm to Prime Minister Imran Khan but would endanger lives of the people to fast spread of Covid-19 in the country.

"If you are not ready to talk with Prime Minister Imran Khan then tell us to whom you are going to talk," he said, adding that "I want to make it clear to the opposition that ultimately you will have to sit on the table."

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan would also win the next election if there was this kind of opposition.

"Opposition was thinking that they will copy Imran Khan and hold a massive rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, they must know that Khan was blessed and rose to the top, whereas the Minar-e-Pakistan rally will only be the political downfall of the opposition," he said.

When he was asked that any action would be taken against the opposition parties, he said that law and order was provincial subject but if they wanted to march to Islamabad, they were welcome.

"If they want to come to Islamabad, he will welcome Maulana Fazlur Rehman," he said.

To another question about bringing back former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to the country, he said the government was making serious efforts for bringing Sharif to the country but there were some legal hurdles.

He said "we had also staged a 126 days long sit-in but did not topple the government." Criticising the opposition leaders, he said the opposition leaders had obtained foreign nationalities for saving their children.

The interior minister said he would make efforts to improve overall law and order situation in the country, would introduce modern border management system, provide passport facilities to the poor, and bring improvement in the immigration system. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan would succeed in its mission to steer the country out of all the challenges.

He said that rule of law and Constitution would be ensured in the country, adding, "We are committed to fight money laundering."

Rashid said he would make efforts to resolve the issue of the missing persons.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020