ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (APP):Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz Friday asked the opposition parties to act responsibly and put off their campaign for vested interests as the ongoing second wave of the coronavirus was turning dangerous.
Addressing a press conference here along with Advisor to the Prime Minister for Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain, he said the people, who came in rallies from all parts of the country, became carriers of the coronavirus.
The provincial governments would take steps to discourage public meetings and in case of violation of law action would be taken against the political leaders and organizers.
He said the coronavirus was a reality as evident from the neighbouring countries where the situation was the worst. However, Pakistan’s economy had come out of the crisis caused by the deadly disease, he added.
He said when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government took charge, it initiated the process for institutional reforms as the institutions had lost their significance with the passage of time.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan formed a competent team led by Dr Ishrat Hussain to reform and make the institutions effective. “Now we have to see where we stand and where we are heading.”
Shibli Faraz said inefficiency and corruption prevailed in the institutions in the past. The important institutions like Radio Pakistan, Pakistan Television and Pakistan Steel Mills were stuffed with favourites without merit.
Similarly, institutions like Pakistan National Council of Arts, Lok Virsa and universities were spending 80 percent of their funds on salaries and administrative expenses, he added.
Every government, he said, had made political appointments in the institutions, which lost their standing. On the contrary, now the appointments on higher posts were done through selection board and nobody was challenging them in courts, he added.
