Imran Khan’s awarding of certificates to ministries over their performance was an indication that their ‘game is over: Fazl

LAHORE, Feb 12 (SABAH): Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) President and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) Ameer Maulana Fazlur Rehman took a jibe at the government on Saturday, saying that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s awarding of certificates to ministries over their performance was an indication that their “game is over”.

Alluding to that initiative while addressing a ceremony at Jamia Madina in Raiwind area of Lahore, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said: “When do you give certificates? You give certificates after a game has ended. So it seems, they have indicated that their game is over.”

“And this is why we gave the indication of our future at night,” he continued, making an apparent reference to the PDM’s announcement the previous night of tabling a no-confidence motion against the government.

Turning his attention again to the government’s initiative of awarding certificates to ministries on the basis of their performance, he said the government had been claiming that there had been signs of economic progress and that the world had acknowledged Pakistan’s economic progress.

“Then why have you deprived the finance minister of the certificate?” he posed a rhetoric question. Similarly, he added, the government had been saying that it had established “very good” diplomatic ties. The government, he continued, termed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Council of Foreign Ministers summit on the Afghan issue in Islamabad in December a “fantastic sign of a successful foreign policy”.

“Why have you then deprived Shah Mahmood Qureshi of a certificate?” he questioned. Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the government had also been claiming that “our defence is in strong hands”.

“Why have you then deprived Pervez Khattak?” he asked about the defence minister. He also criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government over rising inflation in the country and its foreign policy. “None of our neighbours is happy with us today,” he lamented.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the government has completely failed on the foreign front, even Modi does not take phone calls of Imran Khan and Chinese leadership spoke to the prime minister via video link. The PM himself said that economic growth has been recognized by the world and asked why he didn’t gave certificate to the minister of finance.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that PM Imran Khan recently visited China but the Chinese leadership spoke to him through video link because China is annoyed on the issue of CPEC.