ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Wednesday said the leader like the calibre of Prime Minister Imran Khan was need of the country and those supporting him were in fact supporting Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference here to announce interim Wage Board Award for the newspaper workers, she said the people had voted for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to get rid of the slavery of two families, who were taking turns to rule the country.

Dr Firdous said Imran Khan considered the media his strength and the media should support him in his efforts to steer the country out of the multiple crises caused by the loot and plunder of the former rulers.

She said Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif twisted facts in his speech in the National Assembly and violated the agreement reached with the treasury benches that the leadership would listen to speeches from other side of the divide by leaving after his almost 3 hours speech.

She said Shehbaz Sharif in his speech also indulged in self-praise and did not touch the issue of wasting Rs 45 billion for his self-projection.

Rejecting the opposition's claim that the prime minister did not want the Parliament to run smoothly, she said Imran Khan fully believed in the supremacy of Constitution, parliament and other state institutions.

Those who wanted to come to power through back-door channels and hatching conspiracies had failed in their designs and the budget would be passed by the National Assembly, she added.

The special assistant advised the opposition to suggest amendments through constitutional, parliamentary, and democratic manners, and not through hurling  threats.

She said the amendments proposed by the opposition benches for the benefit of  people would be incorporated in the budget and approved by the assembly. The budget was for the people and the opposition would hopefully make them discontented.

From day one the prime minister had been of the view that the budget was not for the government, but it was for the people and national institutions and that was why it would be passed by the National Assembly, she added.