ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has asked the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — an anti-government alliance of political parties — to defer its long march plan until the end of Ramazan, which will begin in the middle of April.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, the minister said the PDM, which had changed several decisions, should also revisit its decision to launch the long march from March 26.

However, he assured the opposition that there would be no obstacles in the way of the PDM if it continued with the same plan and unless the law was taken into hands. “We will be ready to facilitate you like we did during your protest outside the Election Commission in Islamabad,” he said, referring to the protests over prolonged delay in decision on the foreign funding case against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Alluding to his recent remarks that the government was ready to handle the protest by the opposition and if it did not remain within the ambit of law, Islamabad police have enough stock of teargas, he said he made the remarks in a light vein. However, he added, he should not have uttered such remarks and apologised.

Says Nawaz Sharif’s passport won’t be renewed, but emergency travel document can be issued for his return

“We have already tested the teargas during the protest of government employees last week in Islamabad. The test was necessary as these teargas shells had not been used for a long time,” the minister had said while speaking at a function on Sunday.

Nawaz’s passport won’t be renewed

Referring to the diplomatic passport of former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, the interior minister said it was going to expire tonight and it could not be renewed.

He explained that the names of the former premier and his daughter Maryann Nawaz had been on the Exit Control List (ECL) since August 20, 2018 and his passport could not be renewed.

The minister offered to provide an emergency travel document to the opposition party’s supremo if he wanted to return to Pakistan, though he said, the latter would not return.

He slammed the ex-premier for misusing the one-time permission of travelling abroad for medical treatment and said the latter was not being stopped from returning to Pakistan.

Reacting to the minister’s remarks, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said Nawaz Sharif was thrice-elected prime minister and would come to Pakistan whenever he decided. “He does not need to get his passport renewed from these ‘political terrorists’ and incompetent people,” she told a presser.

Earlier, in December, the interior minister had announced that the passport of the PML-N supremo would be cancelled when it expired on February 16.

After spending a year in prison, 71-year-old Nawaz Sharif had secured a conditional bail in November 2019 to travel to London for medical treatment and never returned since then. His party insists that despite being summoned by the courts that declared him a proclaimed offender in separate corruption probes, the former premier would return to the country only after completion of his medical treatment.

“Those who have their names on the no-fly list are not issued passports, neither are they renewed,” Mr Rashid said.

About PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz’s statement that she would not leave the country to join her father in London for her treatment, the interior minister said her name, too, was there on the ECL and she could not travel abroad. No request had been received for a one-time waiver, he added.

He replied in the negative when his attention was drawn to Maryam Nawaz’s claim of being in contact with a federal minister and asked if he was the one.

Mr Rashid sounded confident that the PTI would emerge victorious in the upcoming Senate elections. He also expressed the hope that there would be political stability and a reduction in rumour-mongering in the country after the polls.

The minister said the country would progress under the able leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Chiding the opposition, he said those who used to curse parliament, including Maulana Fazalur Rahman, were asking for votes from members of the assemblies. He said those who wanted the system to be derailed had met the fate of failure.

Terming Asif Ali Zardari a PhD degree holder in purchase of votes, the interior minister said the PPP leader, too, would be disappointed this time.

Answering a question, the minister said an advertisement had been published to invite applications for the post of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) chairman. After the expiry of his term, acting charge had been given to the senior most officer, he said, adding that the acting chairman had been barred from taking any ‘political’ decisions.

The minister said the network of Nadra offices would be expanded at the tehsil level. It would issue 100,000 identity cards a day, he added.

Mr Rashid said that 150 officers of the passports department posted abroad years beyond their normal terms were being immediately called back. He said those who failed to hand over charge to their replacements in 14 days would be dismissed from service.

The minister also announced a reduction in the fee for 10-year passport.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2021