Nawaz's 'language' similar to MQM's Altaf: Fawad Chaudhry

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said Saturday that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif's "language" is similar to that of MQM founder Altaf Hussain.

The minister's comments came days after the PML-N supremo addressed the opposition's multi-party conference that has established the Pakistan Democratic Movement to oust the incumbent government.

Addressing the media at the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), the federal minister claimed that Nawaz’s speech had disappointed PML-N workers.

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"In my opinion, PML-N workers should register a case against Nawaz over such a controversial speech against the institutions of the country," the minister said.

Chaudhry said that the Pakistan Army was the most respectable institution of Pakistan, adding that Nawaz's clash with the institutions was a bid to protect his money stashed abroad.

"[Nawaz] has no link with democracy and he can only strike deals," Chaudhry said.

The federal minister claimed that the think tanks of the PML-N were about to conclude that a change of leadership had become inevitable.

"In fact, Nawaz Sharif wanted to know why the institutions did not help him to protect his looted money," Chaudhry said.

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To a question, he said that every opposition party had been part of different dictatorial rules, except for Imran Khan, who had never been a part of martial-law.

Pakistan's 'clear bright' future

Chaudhry said that Pakistan was among the countries which had a clear bright future, adding that soon all medical equipment would be manufactured locally.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC), under which the ministry is going to establish a medical-industrial unit which will be set up at Allama Iqbal Industrial City in Faisalabad, he said.

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In this unit, various production plants of medical equipment would be established, and investors were also in contact with the ministry for the purpose.

The minister said that when the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed, Pakistan did not produce a single piece of coronavirus safety equipment, adding that, now, Pakistan is in a position to export these items to other countries.

Speak of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is likely to be prepared in 2021, he said that for vaccination, millions of needles are needed and the ministry will establish two plants for needle production to fulfil the requirement.

Chaudhry said that at least 1,100 ventilators are being produced in the country every month and that Pakistan was also working on local manufacturing of x-ray and dialysis machines.