In an apparent reference to western nations, a senior Pakistan minister has said his country will not take any dictation to resolve internal issues, including action against the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

“We will not take action against anyone on the directives of any country,” Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said, while replying to a question about European Parliament’s recent resolution seeking withdrawal of GSP Plus status of Pakistan.

The Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) is a special component of the GSP scheme that provides additional trade incentives to developing countries already benefitting from GSP.

Chaudhry told a media conference after a federal cabinet meeting that action that had been taken against the TLP which led to its ban was the government’s own decision because the party had violated Islamic norms and laws of the country.

Later, talking to Dawn, the minister claimed that the issue of GSP Plus status and EU Parliament’s resolution was not discussed in the cabinet meeting.

“However, the government is firm in its stance that it will not take any dictation on internal issues,” he said.

Besides several other decisions, the meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan, approved two important ordinances for ensuring transparency in elections and granting the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis by introducing modern technology.

The meeting also decided to involve lawyers’ bodies and bar councils in electoral reforms even if the opposition did not join the process.

The minister said the cabinet approved two ordinances — one would enable the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to use electronic voting machines (EVMs) during polls and the other would empower it to take steps for giving voting rights to overseas Pakistanis.

He said the cabinet also approved deployment of the army in Sindh on the request of the provincial government, adding the situation in the province could have been better if its government had opted for the deployment earlier.

(SAM)