Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that there was no room for corruption and money laundering in Pakistan as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was determined to end corruption and promote good governance and rule of law in the country.
Addressing a gathering of the British-Pakistani community at the Pakistan High Commission in London, Fawad, who is currently on a visit to UK, thanked the overseas Pakistanis for playing an important role in supporting PTI in elections in Pakistan. He said the people, especially the overseas Pakistanis and the middle class, supported the PTI and Imran Khan for change and rule of law in the country. “This is also a success of the middle class in the country,” he remarked.
The minister said it was the policy of the PTI government to uproot corruption, eliminate money laundering and ensure good governance and rule of law. He said the PTI government was established in the result of a ‘revolt’ by the middleclass against status quo and the corrupt system. He said the incumbent government was bringing about paradigm shift where the powerful people and groups were being brought under the law. The groups and leaders who were corrupt and considered themselves above the law were arrested and sent behind the bar besides registering cases against them, he said.
Fawad said the PTI government is determined to hold accountability from top to the bottom. In the past, he said, no action was taken by the governments against the corrupt people and those committed even multiple murders. “Our government is a scam-less dispensation as we have ensured good governance and rule of law in the country,” he said.
Highlighting the Pakistan-India relations especially in the backdrop of Kashmir issue, the minister said Pakistan wanted good relations with India as well as resolution of Kashmir issue through dialogue. He said Pakistan and India had fought three wars on Kashmir with no solution. Pakistan has always made efforts to resolve all outstanding issues including the core issue of Kashmir through dialogue with India, he said, and regretted that India always rejected dialogue offers by Pakistan.
He mentioned that the recent opening of Kartarpur corridor was meant to enable and facilitate the Sikh community from India to visit their religious places situated in Pakistan. “We will wait for outcome of the Indian elections and then we want India to rethink its position on Kashmir and come to the negotiating table to resolve the dispute peacefully,” he remarked.
The minister said due to the prudent economic policies of the present government, the workers remittance and exports have increased. He said Pakistan has arranged $12 billion to bridge the gap in balance of payments and now the issue stands resolved.
The minister said that security situation in the country has improved and foreign investors from US, Japan and other countries have started bringing investments in various sectors in the country. He said Pakistan has great potential to boost tourism sector in the country, adding that the government also wants to promote religious tourism in Pakistan. He said out of 12 highest mountain peaks, eight peaks are situated in Pakistan besides many other historical places.
The minister said many countries including Saudi Arabia have showed interest in participating in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) by investing in various projects under the initiative, including agriculture and tourism.
Fawad also called upon the overseas Pakistanis including British-Pakistanis to come forward and play their role in development of Pakistan by investing in their homeland. He invited them to invest in the special economic zones (SEZs) established for investors in an investment-friendly environment.
Replying to a question, the minister said that under the constitution, though the dual nationals cannot contest elections but there was no discrimination between Pakistanis and overseas with regards to the rights and benefits enjoyed by them.
On the occasion, the minister assured the British-Pakistanis that their problems will be considered seriously by the government. He said he has established a unit for overseas Pakistanis under a deputy secretary in the Ministry of Information to receive their complaints.
Published in Daily Times, December 9th 2018.
