Naqvi says he and Bilawal almost agree on system reset

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Thursday that he and Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari were almost on the same page over a reset of the system, and that any major decision would need the agreement of the coalition parties.

Speaking at a press conference at the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Islamabad, Naqvi said Bilawal had spoken about resetting the political system, while his own suggestion was for an overall reset. He said the PPP, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and other parties were important partners in the government, and that no decision would be taken without the consent of the parties concerned. He dismissed talk circulating on social media that differences would emerge among the coalition partners.

On the demand for new provinces, the interior minister said political parties should seek public opinion through a referendum. He said every party had the right to hold a different position, but the public's view should decide the outcome, and that a result against new provinces should be accepted just as a result in favour should be respected by the parties. He said the PPP had its own stance and other parties differed too, and that any alternative proposal should also be put before the public.

Asked about corruption, Naqvi said it existed across Pakistan and that the government had a responsibility to identify it and act. He acknowledged that the Capital Development Authority faced serious corruption problems and said five major CDA cases were being pursued. He said action had also been taken against officials in the Interior Ministry, including the arrest of a Grade-17 officer by the NCCIA, and that he and the Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, had been taking strict measures.

Naqvi said 5,000 to 6,000 people had received CDA notices in a campaign against encroachment on government land in Islamabad that had been under way for several months. The notices were not aimed at any particular individual, he said, and those affected could use legal remedies.

He said the NCCIA had uncovered an international examination fraud involving about 5,000 Pakistanis, and that those who benefited from the scheme would also face action. He praised NCCIA Director General Atif and his team for exposing the operation. He said 15 suspects had been arrested in the previous month in operations against pornography-related activity, operating mainly from Lahore and allegedly linked to international websites, and referred to separate cases involving a call centre and a child victim.

The minister said the agency was digitising its complaint system so complaints could be recorded electronically and their progress tracked. He said the NCCIA was short of staff and resources, and that a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was scheduled for the following week to discuss the agency's requirements.

On speculation circulating over the previous two or three days, Naqvi said rumours would not change the legal position and that every person would receive whatever relief the courts allowed.