“The opposition is desperate to not let the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government complete its term,” Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said on Tuesday, accusing opposition parties of leg-pulling.
Talking to Pakistan Today Editor Arif Nizami in his programme DNA on Channel 24, Iqbal said if the government successfully completed its all development projects till 2018, no political party would be in a position to beat the PML-N in the next elections.
About civil, military relations, the minister said certain elements were trying to spread fake stories that there was something wrong between the civil and military leadership. “The successful execution of Operation Zarb-e-Azb is an ample example of these unprecedented ties,” he said, adding that the civilian government and military were on the same page.
About Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s health, Iqbal said the premier was eager to return but he had to consider his doctors’ prescription before taking a flight back home. He however added that the members of PM’s cabinet were working diligently even in his absence and the affairs of the government were running just fine.
Commenting on reports about a forward bloc within the PML-N, the minister said there was no forward bloc and all such stories were baseless as all the ministers were united under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif.
About the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, Iqbal said he had addressed reservations of all the provinces, adding that Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri had recently accompanied him during his visit to China while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak had no more reservations following a meeting with him.