ISLAMABAD, June 24 (APP): Minister for Finance, Revenue,
Statistics and Economic Affairs Division Ishaq Dar has
said Pakistan Peoples’ Party would regret its decision of agitation
or filing cases against PML-N leadership and called upon saner
elements in the party to avoid the politics of the 1990s.
“Although it is internal affair of PPP but it is regrettable
that the party is going to be trapped and will lament this
decision in coming days,” Ishaq Dar said in a private news
channel programme, replying to a question about decision of filing
cases for disqualification of the five PML key leaders.
He said lead persons of the party in the ToRs committee
are misguiding the party and it is responsibility of the elders in
the party to apply their sanity instead of listening to those
who were trapping the party.
He said he sees Bilawal Bhutto in the same manner as he used
to, during meetings with Benazir Bhutto, when she used to call Bilawal
to greet him. “I did not even reply his tweets. I see him with the
same love as son of Benazir Bhutto.”
He said during the last meeting the government team had
clearly defined the course of proceedings to the committee
on ToRs clarifying that in response to every point of their ToRs
certain law will either be violated or complied.
“We had prepared comprehensive ToRs which can be acceptable
to any person with an unbiased thinking,” he added.
“PML-N does not need anybody’s immunity or amnesty. PPP is itself
falling prey to a trap on behest of some people and will
regret its decision,” he added.
Answering a question, the Finance Minister said, Chief of Army Staff
called the Prime Minister twice; one time before the surgery and
one time after it. Even when on other occasions, we had a contact
with the COAS on national issues he first asked about health of
the Prime Minister. “The government and the establishment
have cordial relations. These are some people who are busy
in rumour mongering and trying to create confusion.”
About the health status of the Prime Minister, he said it
was decided that Maryam Nawaz would continue updating on this issue
and she has been doing so with her tweets. We have been told
that doctors may allow the Prime Minister to travel during last
days of Ramazan and on this matter also, we held a meeting to welcome the PM in a befitting manner.
He said his meeting with the Opposition Leader was about
nomination of the members of Election Commission but as far as the
matter of filing cases against the PML-N leaders, “it will not
be a welcoming decision.”
He also referred to the past when he met with Benazir Bhutto
in 2002 and consequently a door was opened for negotiations that
ended at creation of Charter of Democracy.
He said some names for the ECP members were sent to me by
the Prime Minister that have informally been conveyed to
the Opposition Leader. We have planned to hold meetings on the
issue after Eid and hopefully the process would be completed
with stipulated 45 days and in the light of the 22nd constitutional amendment, two of the four upcoming members will have half tenure for one time like it was done in case of the members of the Senate.
