LAHORE, Pakistan: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Prof Ahsan Iqbal said on Saturday that parliamentary committee had been constituted to determine the Terms of reference (TORs) for Commission on the Panama papers.
Talking to the media after inaugurating Jamia Mosque Arqam Zamir and Dar-us-Salam Educational Complex here at Doctors’ Colony, he added that after the formation of parliamentary committee, there should not be holding of self-styled courts in the television talk shows and political public meetings.
To a question, he said TORs should be determined in a manner that everyone had to be made accountable in this regard.
Ahsan Iqbal said those creating hue and cry over offshore companies, themselves owned such companies, and they were doing so because they were actually afraid of next general election 2018. Attempts to create political instability through such tactics, was totally against the national interests, he remarked.
To another question, he said the government, in consensus with all stakeholders, was serious in establishing an independent and autonomous accountability institution/commission that could eliminate corruption and irregularities effectively from Pakistan.
The minister said the China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) was instrumental and held key importance in regional development, and think-tanks of various countries were researching on the CPEC importance and benefits. At present, he mentioned, Pakistan was attracting huge investments, which must not be obstructed through creating political instability, because the country’s development hinged on political stability, he asserted.
To a query, he said when compare to year 2013, today the present government had substantially reduced the electricity load-shedding duration by executing energy projects on war footings. He hoped that government would manage to give an end to load-shedding by ensuring a balance in demand and supply of energy.
Ahsan Iqbal mentioned that present government had also the credit of controlling the menace of terrorism and extremism to a large extent and was restoring durable peace in the country’s areas, including Balochistan and Karachi, which had once become no-go areas due to these major problems.
Earlier, addressing the inaugural ceremony, Ahsan Iqbal stressed the need for promotion of Islamic teachings along with contemporary education. He termed the ignorance from Islamic education as main factor for the present day problems, adding that attempts were made to portray wrong image of Islam through misinterpretation of Islamic teachings, which also had led to wide scale blood-shed/terrorism in the country.
The minister mentioned that a television channel ‘Sautul Quran’ had also been opened up to create awareness about real teachings of Islam among the general public. In addition, he said, Seerat Chairs had also been set up in various educational institutions.
Speaking about Dar-us-Salam Educational Complex, Ahsan Iqbal said that establishment of more such institutions was the need of the hour.
Source: APP
