LAHORE: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry onSunday said relations between Pakistan and the United States (US) were fastimproving.
Talking to media persons here at the Alhamra Hall, the minister rejectedthe statement of former US ambassador Cameron Munter, saying he was notaware of the developments in Washington DC as he had retired a long timeago.
Munter had claimed that the time has come for Pakistan to work on goodgovernancelinkandto “stop misappropriating funds allotted for socioeconomic development”.
Commenting on the subject, Fawad said, “Islamabad and Washington havecordial relations and the recent meetings between Foreign Minister ShahMehmood Qureshi and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo strengthened the tiesbetween the two countries.”
Payments under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), he said, had been stoppeda long time ago.
Replying to a question, the minister said the government was contemplatingto ease visa restrictions for 66 countries in order to promote tourism inthe country.
He said, “Prime Minister Imran Khan has a vision to promote tourism in thecountry. He wants foreigners in large number to visit Pakistan and see itsbeautiful colours.”
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Pakistan’s cultural festivals were a great feast to watch, he added.
To another question, the minister said the Basant festival would take placeafter finalisation of modalities how to make it accident-free. Thegovernment was committed to hold all the festivals, including MelaChiraghan and Sachal Sarmast Urs, and many others which had since beenabandoned, he added.
Responding to a query, Fawad said Pakistan had unfortunately been ruled bya handful group of people in the past who were not interested in improvingits image. Those rulers robbed the national wealth and filled theircoffers, he added.
He said the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to make the country likethat of the ‘State of Madina’ was not political but a social one. He wantedto make Pakistan a state which was tolerant, where freedom of speech wasencouraged and justice to all and sundry was ensured.
To a question, the minister said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)government was not facing any political challenge. The parties led by NawazSharif and Asif Ali Zardari had met their fate due to bad governance intheir respective government during the past 10 years, he added.
