Tarar blasts PTI for campaigning against Pakistan’s GSP+ status

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Islamabad: Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday blasted the PTI for sending an online petition to the European Union for depriving Pakistan of GSP+ status and described the move as an attack on the country’s economy.

He said personal goals were more important for the PTI than the national interest and the party had asked for revoking the GPS+ status by wrongly claiming that the basic facilities were not being provided to the imprisoned party founder.

It’s a conspiracy against Pakistan by spreading and sharing false information, Tarar noted and added that the attacks on Pakistan’s economy were still being carried out, as the PTI continued targeting the same like it had done in the past.

Addressing a press conference, the minister explained that the ban on meetings and allowing the visitors to see the prisoners was not specific to the Adiala prison [Central Jail Rawalpindi].

He said security of not only Adiala jail but also of two others in Mianwali and Dera Ghazi Khan was under way due to the terror threats, as the Punjab government wanted to ramp up protection at these facilities.

There was a threat of terror attacks on some prisons and the provincial government is responsible for ensuring the safety of all the prisoners, said Tarar.

He said none of the services allowed under the jail manual had been denied in the case of the PTI founder whose every wish was being fulfilled and he had been enjoying a lavish lifestyle even in the prison. No other inmate enjoys the facilities being provided to the PTI former chairman, Tarar added.

The same people who were involved in the May 9 violence had called for removing Pakistan from the list of those nations who enjoyed the GSP+ status, the minister mentioned.

About the facilities and services enjoyed by the PTI founder, he said three rooms had been allocated to the prisoner who was allowed to have meetings four days a week against the rule of one per week fixed for others.

Tarar also reminded the PTI that its founding chairman – who used to promise stopping provision of meal to the jailed political rivals – had been convicted in the cipher, Toshakhana and others cases.