ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday invited the divided opposition for talks on electoral reforms and nine other vital areas to serve the national cause.

Talking to reporters here on Monday, he referred to the ongoing rift between two main components of the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), saying the unity of PDM was now in tatters and the anti-government alliance had failed in achieving its objective of ousting Prime Minister Imran Khan from office.

“Let us sit in the National Assembly… and move forward,” he said while inviting all opposition parties, including the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), to sit with the government and bring reforms in at least 10 key areas.

He said the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had completed around three years in government and only two years were left. “In power, the time passes quickly while the days appear to be long in opposition,” he remarked.

Says PDM has failed to achieve its objective

He said the time was short and the opposition should come and help the government bring about reforms in the country’s electoral process and police, besides improving local government system and jointly working on a development agenda.

He was of the view that the sooner it was done it would be better.

“The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have parted their ways forever,” the interior minister said.

He went on to say that the two opposition parties had been opposing each other throughout their political life and only had joined hands to remove Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“By the grace of Allah, they could not oust him (PM) from power and they are now on the back foot themselves.” He further said that the ball was actually in the court of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. He also prayed for early recovery of the Maulana and PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz.

In reply to a question whether the PTI has any role in bringing rifts within the PDM, Sheikh Rashid said that it was neither success of the government nor it had any role in the PDM’s affairs. It was only inefficiency of the opposition, he added.

He admitted that there was inflation in the country, but PM Khan was making efforts to bring it down. The prime minister had instructed his cabinet, the party’s core committee and political committee to work hard to bring down inflation, he added.

About reshuffle in the cabinet, the interior minister said that such reshuffles were a matter of routine. “A minister remains a minister whether he is at one place or other, in one ministry or the other.”

He also said that his portfolio was not being changed and that he was at the right place. “PM Imran Khan is also the captain of politics, I stand by him, I have come with him, will go with him and will play where he will require me to play.”

He told reporters that passport and Nadra (National Database and Registration Authority) offices would be established in every district throughout the country.

In reply to a question, he said it was for the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to decide on imposition of lockdown in Islamabad to contain the spread of virus.

His ministry’s duty was only to implement the decision, he added.

He said that the Ministry of Interior was going to introduce an application (App) for citizens to lodge their complaints against all departments, including Nadra that work under the ministry. He said that all corrupt officials working in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on same positions for last 20 years would be removed.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2021