No compromise on Imran Khan's security, but protocol will be reduced: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesman Fawad Chaudhry has said there will no compromise on the security of Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan, but the protocol provided to him will be reduced.

Speaking to reporters outside Imran Khan’s residence in Banigala, the spokesman said that PTI chairman would embrace austerity and have minimum expenses, but there will no compromise on his security which he will be provided completely.

He said two committees will be formed as part of the austerity drive announced by Imran Khan including one by incoming finance minister Asad Umar and another by the Establishment Division to come up with recommendations to curtail expenses.

He said the extravagant Prime Minister’s House has eighty vehicles including 23 bullet-proof ones, helicopters, airplanes and around 530 employees, and every minister was allotted as much as ten vehicles in the previous government.

Furthermore, he said the expenses of the Governor House Punjab were mind-boggling running into billions of rupees, and similarly at the Punjab House in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Murree, while former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif had declared seven places as CM House in Lahore.

Therefore, a committee has been formed to come up with recommendations to reduce expenses, and the scope of the austerity drive will be further widened.

Regarding the adverse situation of the economy, the spokesman said a ‘white paper’ will be issued soon and Asad Umar and economic expert Abdur Razzaq Dawood will bring forward recommendations to improve the economy.

He said that Imran Khan has vowed that the Parliament will be the centre of their decisions, and will regularly participate in the assembly proceedings as tge functionality of the Parliament is crucial as much as the government.

He appreciated the responsible role of the opposition in Parliament today, and said that Imran Khan met with them and desires to have a cordial working relationship with him, adding that a positive role played by the opposition will strengthen democracy.

He further said that a meeting of the party’s core committee will be held two days after Imran Khan takes oath as prime minister to come up with candidates for the eight vacant seats of the National Assembly.

He announced that PTI has nominated former provincial minister Mustaq Ghani as Speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and Mehmood Jan as the Deputy Speaker, while no decision has been made over the next Governor KP.

Regarding the criticism of Imran Khan in Indian media, he said they were part of political statements by extremist forces in the country. He said the Indian envoy had recently met with Imran Khan and it was necessary to improve relations between both countries.

He said that Imran Khan desires to improve state relations with all countries, unlike former prime minister Nawaz Sharif who sought to improve personal relations. He said that Saudi King Salman and Crown Prime Muhammad Bin Salman had also called Imran Khan to congratulate and relations between both countries will also flourish.