Govt not yet decided to establish ‘Reception Camps’ for PDM’s long march: Sh Rashid

Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed

ISLAMABAD, Dec 28 (APP): Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Monday said the government had not yet decided to establish the ‘Reception Camps’ for the so-called long march of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an 11-party alliance against the democratically elected government.

“We will decide about this after the date is announced by the PDM [for long march. We have not held any meeting yet to decide that when and where the ‘Reception Camps’ have to be set up,” he said while talking to media persons after chairing a meeting here at the Chief Commissioner Office.

However, he said, unnecessarily police pickets had recently been removed from different areas of the capital, adding that at the same sites police vehicles would be stationed for maximum facilitation to the commuters and citizens.

Sheikh Rashid said co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party Asif Ali Zardari had talked about filling the jails on Sunday’s rally, but he spent most of his sentenced time in hospitals instead of prison.

The minister said Zardari had done his Ph.D in criminology; and he knew the hardship faced in jails and avoid it through different tactics.

He said opposition parties just wanted clearance in their NAB cases, expressing confidence that they would not only participate in the upcoming Senate elections, but also review the decision of tendering resignations of their parliamentarians.

Commenting on a question about confirmation of resignation by PML-N’s MNA Murtaza Javed Abbasi, the minister was of the view that Murtaza would deny about sending his resignation to the Speaker National Assembly.

Sheikh Rashid said as per law only the handwritten resignations duly signed by the members and having required details, were considered for further necessary action, adding that all ‘typed or computerized’ resignations had not legal status.

Replying to a question, the Interior Minister said all religious seminaries working in the federal capital were imparting the education to students in a true spirit without any involvement in extra-curriculum activities.

He said the PML-N leadership had been serving dictator Zia-ul-Haq for personal gains.

Sheikh Rashid said Pakistan’s Armed Forces had never indulged in politics, neither it was nor to be, adding “It was, is and will remain with democracy.”

He said no media could beat Pakistan’s electronic media because they were more responsible and effectively creating awareness among the public about all necessary measures to contain the spread of deadly coronavirus.

The Interior Minister announced a housing colony for print and electronic media journalists including cameramen and photographers of the country in Islamabad.

Accordingly, he said, directives had been issued to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration for identification of a suitable site and coordinating with elected bodies of the journalist community.

Earlier sharing decisions of the meeting he chaired at the Chief Commissioner’s Office, Sheikh Rashid said from January 1, the registration process of all locally produced new vehicles would be completed within 24 hours.

He said the directives had also been given for issuing e-stamp to facilitate the public, adding three Service Stations titled “May I Help You” would be established in different localities of the capital, manned by staff of the departments concerned including Police, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Registration Office, ICT and Traffic Police.

The minister said two ‘Food Night Bazaars’ would be opened in the capital where a number of food chains would be allowed to operate throughout a night.

He also announced the end the traditional ‘Pathwari’ system in the capital within a period of one month, saying “No more Patwari in Islamabad.”

The minister said efforts would be made to bring down the stamp duty in the capital, adding it was not justified that the stamp duty in Islamabad was two percent, while in rest of the country it was one percent.

He said restructuring of the ICT had been directed and eight different departments like Fisheries would be merged in it.

Sheih Rashid said a new motorbike force namely ‘Eagle Squad’ would be introduced in the federal capital for which “We are going to review our Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) related funds and projects.”

 

APP Services