PM Imran will attend parliamentary session on coronavirus: Info minister

ISLAMABAD: Information minister Shibli Faraz said Tuesday that Prime Minister Imran Khan will attend the parliamentary session focusing on COVID-19 outbreak in Pakistan.

Faraz was holding a press conference where he said that the prime minister had previously been unable to attend the event as he was dealing with “pressing matters”.

“PM Imran will appear in the Assembly session; he didn’t earlier as he was busy with other matters at hand. Meanwhile, those who pressed for summoning the session and claim to be champions of democracy did not show up, [to you I say] this is a hypocritical [behaviour].”

“If we talk about any other amendment in the Constitution, there isn’t much hue and cry over it as the [opposition] does over the 18th Amendment. PML-N’s Abdul Qayyum has also filed a bill regarding amendments in the Election Commission of Pakistan. Why did he do that, then? It was also a part of the 18th Amendment,” he said.

“There shouldn’t be much hue and cry over it as a party that has enough numbers can make a constitutional amendment, but I believe that a debate should take place on this matter,” he added.

In response to a question, Faraz made it clear that the inquiry reports on sugar, wheat and IPPs will be made public soon, saying that there were some pressing matters at hand due to which it had gotten delayed.

“There are many hindrances that we are facing currently but the reports will be revealed may it be of sugar, wheat, or IPPs,” he said.

Taking a dig at the PPP, he said that the prime minister’s heart “beats for the poor people” unlike the PPP which raises slogans of Roti, Kapraa aur Makaan but has snatched it away from the destitute.

The information minister said that the cabinet also approved the Economic Coordination Committee’s decision made on May 6.