Islamabad, May 30, 2023 – Federal Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal, reassured the public that elections in the country would be held as scheduled. In a media interaction on Monday, he expressed his sarcastic views, stating that self-proclaimed “revolutionists” could not endure even a short stay in jail.
Using an English language phrase, Ahsan Iqbal likened the disarray within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to a “house of cards” on the verge of collapse. He highlighted that the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had faced imprisonment during challenging times but never resorted to creating unrest.
Ahsan Iqbal further pointed out that within the PTI, there were many individuals who did not support the politics of the party’s leadership, nor the narratives propagated on their social media platforms. He emphasized that no patriotic individual could endorse the negative propaganda disseminated by PTI’s overseas social media channels against the country’s defense institutions.
Regarding recent incidents of burning important national landmarks, Ahsan Iqbal drew attention to the hypocrisy in labeling the burning of Quaid-i-Azam’s residence in Ziarat as terrorism while downplaying the burning of Jinnah House in Lahore as mere political protest. He underscored that attacks on the country’s institutions could not be justified as political protests, asserting that if such acts crossed the line into terrorism, they must be referred to as such.
Ahsan Iqbal reiterated that political workers would be considered integral to the democratic process as long as they operated within the boundaries of politics and democracy.
Responding to a question about Pakistan’s engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he confirmed that the country had fulfilled all the conditions set by the IMF. He expressed optimism that matters with the IMF would soon be concluded, which would help alleviate uncertainties in the market.
As the political landscape in Pakistan continues to evolve, Ahsan Iqbal’s remarks aimed to instill confidence in the public regarding the stability of the democratic process and the nation’s commitment to meeting its obligations on the international stage.