PPP destroyed all institutions: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Information minister Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday lashed out at Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) saying national institutions were destroyed during its tenure.

PPP leader Nafisa Shah called out the information minister and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation's (PBC) earlier plan to shift the headquarters of Radio Pakistan and give the existing premises on a long-term lease.

Responding to Shah, Chaudhry said, "PPP destroyed all institutions including PBC by filling in its own cronies, in three days Khursheed Shah filled 800 people only in Radio which cost seven crores (70 million) additional burden. Government is drowning in a debt of Rs5 billion every year only on Radio thanks to PPP's visionless policy.”

However, in response to Chaudhry, the PPP leader warned that his statement could lead to a privilege motion against him for slandering former opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah.

"Also for the minister Fawad Chaudhry's information, this baseless, false allegation may lead to a privilege motion against him as he has slandered former opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah," she tweeted.

A day earlier, the government withdrew its plan to lease the premises of Radio Pakistan following protests from employees.

Radio Pakistan employees had taken to the streets and threatened to march to Parliament House to protest against PBC's decision to shift the headquarters and give the existing premises on a long-term lease.

The protests had turned violent as police stopped the employees from marching towards the Parliament House and instead they started protesting in front of PM Secretariat. The protests had been taking place since the plan was announced.