–PM’s special assistant says defeating inflation govt’s top priority
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will pay a visit to the Hazara families on Sunday and offer his condolences over last week’s Hazarganji suicide bombing that had left at least 18 people dead.
Speaking to media persons on Saturday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the prime minister will be in Quetta tomorrow to “inaugurate a housing scheme and to condole [with the victims] of the unfortunate incident”.
She was speaking to media persons after a high-level meeting a Bani Gala, Imran Khan’s residence, that was called to discuss the political and economic scenario as well as a massive shuffle in the cabinet.
Awan said that the prime minister has assigned targets and responsibilities to the new economic team led by Adviser on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.
Defending the move to change the ministers, she said one of the top targets of the PM was to steer the nation out of inflation.
The special assistant said it was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that a prime minister has preferred national interest over personal interest by changing portfolios of ministers and removing some others.
She said the prime minister was ready to take any step to meet the current challenges being faced by the country, adding the government intended to provide relief to the masses during the holy month of Ramazan.
After Asad Umar, the former finance minister, refusal to head the petroleum ministry, Energy Minister Omar Ayub has been given an additional portfolio of Petroleum Ministry.
To a question whether who will visit Asad Umar to persuade him, “We persuade those who are angry, and there is no such case in this situation,” she responded.
To a question, Dr Firdous Ashiq said Asad Umar was an important players of the prime minister’s team and he would be soon in action to defend his vision.
She called upon the opposition to play its role with responsibility. “If they misconstrue reconciliation for weakness then problems will spring up,” she cautioned.
The special assistant to the PM said she believed in the teamwork and would take along all the stakeholders to run the affairs of her portfolio.
She said strong relations would be established with media and attached departments of information ministry while media would be given its due rights.
About the absence of Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry from the meeting, she said it was a meeting of spokespersons and Fawad could not attend it for being in Lahore.
