Go to India if you like it so much: Maryam Nawaz to Pak PM Imran Khan
Islamabad/Lahore, Apr 9: Pakistan's Opposition leader Maryam Nawaz on Saturday lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan for lavishing praise on India, saying he should go to the neighbouring country if he likes it so much.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam, who is the daughter of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, also suggested that Khan should emulate the example of India where no prime minister has abrogated the Constitution while facing a no-confidence motion.
Her remarks came after Khan called India a "nation with a great sense of honour".
Prime Minister Khan, in an address to the nation on Friday night ahead of the no-trust motion where he has little chances of surviving unless some miracle takes place, said that he was not against India and had a huge following in the neighbouring country.
"No superpower can force India to do anything against its interests. They (India) are buying oil from Russia despite sanctions.
"Nobody can dictate terms to India which is a sovereign nation. Both countries got freedom at the same time. What the European Union ambassadors said here, could they say that to India also? he asked and added that they could not because India is a sovereign nation.
Responding to his remarks, Maryam said that Khan has gone mad.
"Imran is praising India. He should also follow it on no-trust move. Some 27 no-confidence motions were tabled against different prime ministers of India. No one has played with the Constitution, democracy and ethics like him (Khan). Vajpayee lost the no trust move by one vote and went home but he did not take the Constitution, nation and country hostage like Khan," she said in a series of tweets on Saturday.
"Someone should tell a person who has gone mad after seeing this power gone that he has been expelled by his own party and no one else. If you like India so much then shift there and leave the life of Pakistan, the 48-year-old PML-N leader said.
Maryam tore into Khan, saying he should not be treated as the prime minister anymore.
"One person who is not in his senses anymore cannot be allowed to wreak havoc & bring the entire country down. This is not a joke. He should not be treated as PM or ex PM, he must be treated as a PSYCHOPATH who just to save his own skin is holding the entire country hostage. Shame," she said in a tweet.
"A maniac's fear of having to face the music has brought the entire country to a grinding halt & a complete standstill. The country of 22 crore is without a government for weeks now. This blatant violation of constitution and disregard to SC orders will be ugly & end badly," she said.
This is not the first time when Prime Minister Khan has praised India to the surprise of Opposition parties.
Last week, he praised India for its independent foreign policy.
"They protect their independent foreign policy which is centred on its people," he had said.
The 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, who has effectively lost the majority in the 342-member house, seemed to accept the writing on the wall and urged his supporters to stage peaceful protests across the country when the "new imported government" comes into power on Sunday.
Khan faces the possibility of being the first premier in the country's history to be voted out in a no-trust motion.
No Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has completed its initial talks for the formation of a new government once Prime Minister Khan is ousted. Plans are afoot for the removal of President Alvi and the return of deposed premier Nawaz Sharif from the UK, The Express Tribune newspaper reported on Friday.
Shehbaz, 70, who is the Opposition's candidate for the new prime minister, will announce his possible government priorities after taking the oath.
All Opposition parties will be given proportional representation in the new possible federal government.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
