Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry on Friday commented on the prime minister’s absence from the military and intelligence leadership’s briefing on national security, Afghanistan and Kashmir to parliamentary leaders, claiming that the premier had not attended the briefing to accommodate the leader of opposition.
“The prime minister was scheduled to attend the national security huddle, but the opposition leader [Shehbaz Sharif] had conveyed to the speaker that if [Prime Minister Imran Khan] came to the briefing, he would not attend,” Fawad said during an appearance on a private TV show.
Echoing the talking points from a day earlier, Fawad said the government hopes and prays that there is a peaceful transfer of power in Afghanistan.
“There are three million Afghan nationals in Pakistan — if another three million are pushed in, it will put a lot of pressure on our economy,” he said.
“It won’t be so easy for the Taliban to take over the government,” Chaudhry said on the prospects for peace in the war-torn neighbour. “We want that the Afghan Taliban and the Ghani government negotiate [a way out].”
“We are only concerned when India uses Afghan territories against us,” he added. “[Meanwhile, we will continue to try and mediate between the Afghan Taliban and the Ghani government.”
Separately, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders struck out against the information minister over his comments on the party’s president.
PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb asked how could Shehbaz have refused to attend when the PM was not even a part of the meeting. Disregarding Chaudhry’s claim, she said the PML-N president had not sent a message to anyone.
“Fawad Chaudhry is lying. He is a propaganda machine.”
She further inquired whether Chaudhry had any official document or evidence showing Shehbaz’s refusal and challenged him to provide such evidence if it did exist.
“Did Imran [Khan] sahab not attend issues of national importance and security at Shehbaz Sharif’s behest?” she questioned. She further asked whether the premier had not attended other significant events on the opposition leader’s calling.
Similarly, PML-N senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi sarcastically remarked that the PML-N could “order the prime minister on what work he has to do.”
He said Chaudhry wasn’t aware that the premier was not a part of the parliamentary committee on national security. “Did he not see his (the prime minister’s) chair empty?” asked Abbasi.
He said the information minister had forgotten that the prime minister didn’t need to attend the meeting since he had already received the briefing and agreed with it — though “if he came then it would’ve been a very good thing.”
Abbasi hit out at Chaudhry and questioned whether he mentioned who had ordered the attacks on and disruption against the PML-N president in the National Assembly during his budget speech. “Government ministers and MNAs told us that a direct message came from the prime minister to not let him (Shehbaz) speak,” alleged the PML-N leader.
