Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that parliament is as esteemed an institution as army and judiciary while addressing a press conference on Tuesday.
While speaking at Press Information Department, he remarked that people who question the credibility of parliament are trying to puncture the success of Pakistan
On the government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, he said that the government is close to completing its tenure. He also assured that the general elections will be held in the first month of August, next year.
Criticising Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan, Ahsan said if Imran came into power in 2013, then it the country’s conditions would have deteriorated.
Imran’s speeches are not good for his health and he should restrain from them, he claimed, adding that Imran is the leader of disappointed politicians, who are engaging in attempts to bring down other politics.
On the finality of the Prophethood clause, Ahsan shared that the clause has been restored to its original form. “This was a non-issue, I hope religious party realise this,” he remarked.
When asked why no one has been held responsible for minor change in the clause, he explained that “no one committees any big crime.” The members of different parties were present when the bill was passed in the assembly. “For three months, no one even questioned the bill even though all the relevant documents were easily accessible.
He also said that protests are the democratic right of the people. However, sometimes these protests hamper peace efforts in the country, he claimed.
Protests lead to obstruction, which is not the responsibility of the government rather “the blame falls on the people who hold these irresponsible protests,” he remarked.
Interior minister also advised the media organisations to take caution while running news regarding security operations. “Irresponsible reporting may lead to terrorists getting warned about an operation against them. This could prove to be a big lapse.”
Security news should be covered with delicacy, he remarked, adding that before running all security related news get it double-checked with interior ministry.
The interior minister also shared that the ministry has formulated two new policies. The first is that Pakistan-origin cards will be issued to overseas Pakistanis or Pakistani-citizens with spouses who have different nationalities. “This will allow them to purchase property or carry out other transactions,” he shared.
The other policy is regarding bullet-proof cars, he said, explaining that many diplomats, parliamentarians and businessmen use such cars for commuting. “If someone wants a car for their security, then they must pay Rs0.5 million tax,” Iqbal shared.
He further explained that people who have no criminal record will also be allotted the licence between 10 to 21 days.
