Imran tries to create anarchy in August, during independence day celebrations: Pervaiz Rashid

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid said on Thursday that the Federal Government will respect the mandate given by the AJK people in the Legislative Assembly elections.

Talking to media persons here after attending a reference in memory of late intellectual and broadcaster Agha Nasir he said that overall polling in Azad Kashmir was held in a peaceful atmosphere in a free and transparent manner.

Except for a few small incidents law and order situation during the polling process in AJK and in Pakistan on Kashmiri refugee seats remained satisfactory, he added.

He said that the PML-N also campaigned for its candidates, but for the first time the federal government did not use official resources and administrative powers to win the AJK elections.

To a question about Imran Khan's announcement to launch street agitation, he said that Syed Khursheed Shah's statement about Imran's announcement about protest movement was sufficient.

He said he wanted only to comment that Imran Khan chose July 20, the Black Day observed against Indian state terrorism in occupied Kashmir to announce his agitation, which diverted the media focus and this news shared major portion of the front pages of the newspapers.

He should have waited for one or two days to announce his protest plan as this would have allowed media to fully highlight the activities of the Black Day.

He said that last time Imran had started his sit-in during August and now he has again announced protest in the same month, when the nation wants to celebrate the Independence Day in a befitting manner.

About the health of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he said the Prime Minister had been performing his duties when the doctors had advised him rest after his operation.

Now after coming to Islamabad, he has recovered and he would perform his duties with full vigour.

Replying to a question, the minister said that the government had highlighted the Kashmir dispute at all relevant forums.

He said that the people of Pakistan and Kashmir were completely satisfied with the steps taken by the government.

He said that Prime Minister's speech in the United Nations General Assembly was a historic one in which he raised the Kashmir issue in very clear terms.

He said that political, moral and diplomatic support for Kashmir cause will continue till their freedom.

To a question about Ranger powers in Karachi, he said that all steps would be taken for making Karachi peaceful.

"For ensuring peace in Karachi all decisions were taken with consensus in the past and in future too, decisions will be taken in consensus," he said adding that efforts were being made to continue making decisions with consensus.

Earlier in his address, paying tribute to the late broadcaster he said that Agha Nasir was a great personality who knew the art of conveying his message even in the eras of restrictions.

He said when he became Chairman of PTV in 1997, Agha Nasir proposed steps for improvement in PTV and stressed the use of music, drama and poetry for creating awareness among the masses.

He said that when he was inducted as Information Minister after PML-N came to power in 2013 election, Agha Nasir again repeated the same suggestions for reforming the society.

When he was offered to accept some post in PTV, he said he was ready to work for PTV as an honorary adviser without taking any monetary benefits and offered to use all his expertise for the betterment of the state television.

He said Agha Nasir worked throughout his life to promote tolerance, love and peaceful coexistence among the human beings.

He said it was responsibility of the media to convey his message of love and tolerance to the new generation.