Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Monday said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) needed no National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) because only the plunderers took its refuge as its incumbent government was ruling the country fairly and transparently. The prime minister, in a meeting with the executive committee of Parliamentary Reporters Association here at the PM Office, said the PML-N would carry the message of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to seek public support for next elections.
To a question, he said the political talks with those, who were cursing the parliament, would only be held during the next polls. He said every political party was engaged to draw public support and the masses would decide their fate in the 2018 general election. The prime minister told the delegation that parliamentary diaries published in newspapers had great impact even today.
He said the National Assembly was to complete its term after about four months and the House could only be dissolved through two methods. Firstly, the prime minister could dissolve it if party leader Nawaz Sharif directed so, and secondly through the no-confidence motion, he added. He said both the leaders of the house and opposition would decide about the caretaker prime minister through consultation.
To another question, the prime minister said he neither believed in conspiracies, nor any conspiracy was being hatched against him. He said both Imran Khan and Asif Zardari had also joined Tahirul Qadri and only the masses could decide the fate of those, who had been protesting. He said it would be better if the opposition brought about any debatable issue in the parliament instead of tearing out the House agenda.
He said foreign investors were making investment in the country and Nawaz Sharif's government had carried out record development projects even more than the ones executed during the last 65 years. Prime Minister Abbasi said the government had been earning huge revenue by charging Rs 7,000 per tonne of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) instead of distributing LPG quota among political parties as had been the practice in the past.
Commenting about Khatm-i-Naboowat (finality of the Prophethood), he said the situation could have been averted had the PML-N's suggestion been accepted during the passage of the bill in Senate. He said those, who had dragged the country into war, were staying in Dubai and London in their flats while the politicians were facing courts in the country.
He said the situation would have been different had there been a democratic government at the time of 9/11. To a question, the prime minister said those resembling the CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) with East India Company were in fact unaware of the history. Giving any such resemblance was wrong and irrational. China was Pakistan's time tested friend and the investment under CPEC was being utilized on power plants, motorways and industrial zones.
China would invest in any other country if we failed to take advantage of it, he said, adding the protection of Chinese workers in Pakistan was collective responsibility. Asked about the depreciation of rupee, the prime minister said the value of dollar was ascertained based on its demand and supply and added that the dollar was also appreciated in other countries of the region.
To a question, the prime minister said the incumbent government would prepare the next budget, but it was yet to be decided as who would present it. This would be settled through mutual consultation, he added. Regarding the cases of child abuse, he said laws were very much there, however, there was a need to improve the situation at social level.
The provincial governments, he said, were performing their responsibilities and even the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had also approached the Punjab government for DNA and forensic examination. He, however, assured that the culprits involved in Zainab case would be nabbed soon. To another question, the prime minister said any haste should be avoided on the FATA reforms as high level committees were already functioning and the government would spend Rs 100 billion on the uplift of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) every year.
About the Faizabad sit-in, he said the issue was resolved consequent to the agreement reached on the government's decision. Earlier, the PRA President also apprised the prime minister of the functions and objectives of the association. Later, the delegation also presented a souvenir to the prime minister.