'Force of darkness': Info minister lambasts PDM after PM Imran's vote of confidence

Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz on Sunday blasted the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance as a "force of darkness and falsehoods", saying the first task of such forces was to destroy morals, hollow out institutions, eliminate meritocracy and attain goals through the use of money and force.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the minister spoke out the "wave of happiness" that he said was seen across the country and among overseas Pakistanis in the wake of Prime Minister Imran Khan's successful vote of confidence in the National Assembly on Saturday. The premier won the trust vote with 178 ballots — six more than required.

He said he received "thousands of phone calls and messages" and there was an atmosphere of celebration in the country because "those (opposition) forces were defeated". The minister stated that the PTI was "fighting a war" against forces represented by the PDM which had caused substantial damage to the country's morality, institutions, meritocracy, democracy and society.

The PDM "represents that segment of Pakistan which conducts politics based on [personal] interests, money, force and greed," said Faraz. He said no one had accepted this section at first but through bribery and involving money and personal interests in politics, it "gave birth to a group that became entrenched in Pakistan's roots".

He stressed that the purpose of the parliament was to serve the nation's interests instead of the personal interests of a few individuals or groups.

"How will they (opposition) do lawmaking against themselves and their interests? They used parliament and this was the reason the country and its poor people always suffered."

He questioned why the opposition did politics in the name of the poor while "making properties in Europe", adding that this was proof they only used politics for their own business interests.

"The PDM is not together for the interests of the nation. All of Pakistan knows they are using every method to pressure the government in order to protect their wealth but [Prime Minister] Imran Khan doesn't come under such pressure," he said.

On the other hand, the PTI "wants a system based on morals, rule of law and prosperity in this country", Faraz said, adding that the steadfastness with which the PTI had stuck to this vision was the reason it had political representation in all four provinces while the opposition parties were confined to single provinces.

"Their narrative and stance keeps changing. Whatever suits them becomes their stance and what goes against them is not their stance," he said, adding that the people could see through this "hypocrisy".