National governments proved futile, worthless in past: PM

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Saturday said the adventures and experiments of technocrat and national governments had proved futile in the past and advocated for public-mandated governments what, he said, go through public scanner in every election to get their performance judged.
“What the technocrat governments have given in the past? The governments with no mandate cannot work. The elected government, even if it is lame-duck, can work as people have elected it and they would reject it in the election if failed to serve them,” the prime minister said in an interview with a private news channel.
He said former President Musharraf had also formed both national and technocrat governments and people were witnessed to their poor performances.
To a question about any grouping in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, he said the issue raised by Minister Riaz Pirzada had been settled by the party general council by electing Nawaz Sharif as party president leaving no need for such statements.
To a question about the dissenting parliamentarians, he said they had been elected from the PML-N platform and they should raise their issues in the party meetings. If their issues were so serious and unsolvable, they should resign and contest election from any other party’s platform, he maintained.
Prime Minister Abbasi said he was available to Pirzada to hear his viewpoint but no one ever came up with any complaint rather opted to raise the issue in the media.
He said the government had implemented the July 28 court verdict, though the people had not accepted that and the history would not accept it either, as such decisions prompted negative commentaries.
To a question about Nawaz Sharif’s plan to appear before Accountability Court, he said he had been appearing before the courts and had sought exemption.
However, he questioned as why this case was being heard in so haste. He said such things with no precedents created doubts particularly in the cases having political sensitivity.
He said, in contrary, in the case of PPP’s Dr Asim, even charges could not be framed during last one and half year.

To a question whether the incumbent government would bring Pervez Musharraf back, the prime minister said he was removed from the Exit Control List on court orders and the government would take action if the court orders so.
About former president’s statement of getting millions of dollars from Saudi government, he said the court should take suo motu action besides directing a probe into his illness. Even the NAB could also initiate action on his statements of getting money from the Kingdom, he added.
When asked about the media reports that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had handed over a list of some people wanted by the US to Pakistan’s government during his recent visit, the prime minister denied such report and said the former had reiterated the US’s old demand of acting against the cross border sanctuaries of militants.
Prime Minister Abbasi said after Donald Trump’s policy statement, Pakistan had adopted a clear stance that they had been effectively fighting war against terrorism and no one wanted peace in Afghanistan more than Pakistan.
However, he reiterated that instead of war, Afghan issue could only be resolved through dialogue only by Afghans. Pakistan can contribute to this peace process, he maintained.
He said Pakistan had already been acting on the actionable intelligence reports as the country’s security forces had also recovered an abducted Canadian family.
He said Pakistan had already clarified that there was no militants’ sanctuary in Pakistan rather the terror attacks in Pakistan were being carried out from Afghanistan.
The prime minister said Pakistan had asked the US leadership that they should also fence the Afghan border like Pakistan.
He said Pakistan’s security forces intercepted the movements of terrorists from Afghanistan to Pakistan and added that this was a war that ISAF had lost in Afghanistan.
About the idea of joint operation, he said being a sovereign country, Pakistan would not allow any foreign force to carry out operation in its territory.
Abbasi said since decades, Pakistan had been assisting Afghanistan in every situation but contrarily Afghan leadership had always defamed Pakistan.
He said the world should think about the resettlement of around three million Afghan refugees staying in Pakistan. He said the refugees had been given unprecedented freedom in Pakistan as they had been running businesses and owned properties besides enjoying the freedom of movement.
He said Pakistan had repeatedly conveyed about the presence of Taliban leaders in Afghanistan besides providing them their locations.
To a question about the reservations of Afghan side on CPEC, the prime minister said Afghan goods were allowed to go to India and sea route was also available for transit trade. However, the bilateral issues could be resolved through dialogue, not statements.
In his comments about the attack on journalist Ahmed Noorani, the prime minister condemned the incident and said a committee had been formed that would submit the report in due timeframe.
However, he said in case of unsatisfactory report by the committee, the Supreme Court could be asked to constitute a judicial commission.
He said such attacks and forced disappearance of people were the tendencies of the previous governments and was not acceptable now as everyone should be given the right of due legal process.

Source: APP