Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that the current era is the era of development as the country's economy is quite stable and institutions are functioning smoothly.
The Information Minister was responding to a statement of former Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif that poverty and education are the biggest problems of the country.
Talking to BBC, he said, as far as Shahbaz Sharif is concerned, "I think, he could not do so when he was in power."
"The situation today is far better than what it was before," Sheikh Rashid asserted.
The Minister said that the Supreme Court's permission to Shahbaz Sharif to come back was the similar to the stand that the government had taken from the very beginning.
Sheikh Rashid said that the Supreme Court has disposed off his writ saying that he may come back, adding the law will take its course.
Rashid said, "It is the similar stand which the government has taken from the very beginning. Let him come and face the law, who has stopped him from coming back?" To a question about the deal between the government and Sharif brothers, he said, "It is true, I have also seen the contract bearing their signatures.
According to the contract, he said, they will neither return to Pakistan nor take part in politics for ten years.
He said that as far as the ruling of the apex court is concerned, in my opinion, every Pakistani can come back, if he really wants.