Imran floats agenda for ‘new Pakistan’
LAHORE: Unfolding an 11-point agenda to turn the country into ‘Naya Pakistan’, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan told a rally at the iconic Minar-i-Pakistan on Sunday evening that elimination of corruption, self-reliance, health and education are top priorities of his party.
Mr Khan said no nation could survive and progress by investing in infrastructure only, promising that the PTI after coming to power would invest more and more in human development, particularly in the education and health sectors. He vowed that the PTI would introduce a uniform education system and ensure latest healthcare facilities for all.
The large participation of people from Lahore and other parts of the country in the PTI’s power show matched the party’s momentous Oct 30, 2011, rally. The gathering of families and young women, besides party workers and supporters, made the gathering true to Mr Khan’s resolve of “Tsunami Plus”.
Supporting his assertions through different videos, the PTI chief said only those countries became Asian tigers which invested in education. He chided PML-N president and Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif for failing to provide quality education and healthcare facilities to people despite spending Rs350 billion development funds. “With just Rs110 billion development budget of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PTI government was able to develop better schools, colleges and hospitals,” he claimed.
Mr Khan said the two successive governments of Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had multiplied national debt, which surpassed the collective debt of the previous 60 years. He explained that Pakistan’s collective debt stood at Rs6 trillion in 2008, but it reached Rs13 trillion under Asif Ali Zardari’s rule, while the incumbent PML-N government doubled the country’s debt as it stood at Rs27 trillion at present.
The PTI chief said he would collect money from Pakistanis, including those residing in other countries, to do away with the ever-increasing debt. “Self-reliance in Naya Pakistan will remain on top of our agenda,” he said. “We will collect Rs8,000 billion from the people of Pakistan through strong institutional reforms every year,” he said, adding that people had trust in him due to his honesty and integrity.
He said after coming to power he would massively cut taxes on electricity, gas and petrol.
Mr Khan said the PTI government would wage a war against corruption through strong institutions. He said he ousted 20 lawmakers from his party on corruption charges.
