Imran Khan invites opposition to support electoral reforms

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday invited the opposition parties to sit with the government for improving and reforming the electoral process for the sake of future of democracy in Pakistan.

“Since the elections in country have been controversial after 1970, we are striving to improve the election process. We have proposed election reforms and I will request the opposition to sit with the government, as it pertains to the future of democracy in Pakistan,” he said while speaking on the floor of National Assembly.

Imran Khan also referred to his 21 years of cricketing experience and said the controversies of defeat and victory in the international cricket only ended after the introduction of neutral empires and the support of modern technology.

The Prime Minister also mentioned the campaign of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) after the 2013 general elections, when his party wanted the audit of only four constituencies, but the then government did not accept the demand and later the matter was decided by the court.

He said that the introduction of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in elections besides ensuring transparency will also quicken the process of announcement of election results.

The Prime Minister further said that the government was also ready to listen to the opposition parties if they had any better proposal for election reforms.

Imran Khan in his wide-ranging address spoke on various issues of national importance including his government’s vision of a welfare state, budget, economic policies, foreign policy challenges as well as the situation Afghanistan.

The PM appreciated Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin and the government’s economic team for presenting a people-friendly budget (2021-22), which he said reflected his vision of Pakistan.

Imran Khan said when he founded the PTI 25 years’ back his vision for a welfare state was according to the Nazaria-e-Pakistan and the Objective Resolution, which the country’s founding fathered had dreamt for on the basis of the principles of Riasat-e-Madina, the first welfare state in the world.

He said history was witness to the fact that it were the strong principles of Riasat-e-Madina established by Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), which led to the fall of two big Roman and Persian empires only after 13 years.

The Prime Minister, however, added that when the Muslim world left those principles and went down, Europe emerged and came up by following the principles of the welfare state.

He said that since the PTI was founded on the basis of three principles i.e. Justice, Humanity and Self-Esteem, which was also included in the party’s vision-statement, he wanted the budget to reflect that vision.

The Prime Minister said that all the members of economic team working for the last three years deserved credit for the economic achievements made by his government.

Imran Khan said that despite the inherited major challenges including the US $ 20 billion of Current Account Deficit and the fear of default his government stabilized economy through inevitable hard decisions which also hit the common man.

He referred to the similar situation faced by Turkey before President Recep Tayyip Erogan put their economy on track through corrective measures. “Times come in the history of nations when they have to face hardships for the sake of country.”

Prime Minister Imran Khan also thanked the friendly countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and China for their financial support to Pakistan in difficult situation, which saved the country from default.

He further said that initially his government had been striving to avoid from going to IMF, but later it had to go to IMF to fulfill the country’s fiscal needs.

The Prime Minister also mentioned his government’s successful strategy of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped recover the country from the negative economic effects of the pandemic that impacted the whole world.

He said despite the pressures and criticism from opposition and media, his government did not go for complete lockdown and adopted the policy of identifying hotspots through “trace and track” and opted for smart lockdowns to protect daily-wagers and laborers from economic hardships.

The Prime Minister appreciated the services of National Command and Control Center (NCOC), Asad Umar, Dr Faisal Sultan and the personnel of armed forces involved in the whole process during the pandemic.

He said that the government’s decision of early opening the construction, agriculture and exports sectors also helped in realization of around 4% economic growth despite the challenge of COVID-19.

Imran Khan said that the government provided financial support to 12 million families through Ehsaas Program, which ranked 4th in the world.

He said that with the grace of Allah Almighty, the country despite the challenge of locust attack achieved record wheat, rice, maize and sugarcane production, which besides helping to achieve economic growth also led to economic prosperity in rural areas.

The Prime Minister said that the government’s measures to ensure the receipt of support prices by the growers of various crops also led to economic prosperity of farmers, who then reinvested their incomes in the next crops.

Prime Minister Imran Khan mentioned 17% growth in exports during FY 2020-21 and said as the government incentivized export industry, the country’s exports in the month of June alone were recorded at all time high US $ 2.7 billion.

He said with the Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) registering 9% growth, the government was focusing on export-led industries including the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to further boost exports.

Similarly, the Prime Minister said the government was also incentivizing construction sector, which involved the progress of 30 allied industries.

Imran Khan said that in order to give a boost to agriculture sector, Kissan Card scheme was being introduced in Punjab to provide direct subsidies to small farmers of up to 13 acres of land in fertilizers, seeds and other inputs.

He said it was for the first time that farmers would be provided direct support through Kissan Cardm, adding, the federal government in order to ensure food security has allocated Rs. 60 billion for the development of agriculture sector.

The Prime Minister said as the country had to import wheat, sugar and pulses, efforts were being made to enhance out agricultural productivity. Small farmers, which make 70% of the country’s farming community, would be provided direct subsidy besides opening of Kissan Markets on China’s model, he added.

He said that in order to strengthen the country’s livestock and dairy sectors, modern technology would be utilized to enhance milk production.

The Prime Minister again referred to the principles of Riasat-e-Madina and said if Pakistan has to move ahead and achieve progress, it will have to follow those principles.

China, unlike India which also had huge population, achieved development and steered 700 million people out of poverty in 35 year by following the principles of taking care of the weaker segments of society, he added.

Prime Minister Imran Khan mentioned the unprecedented allocation of Rs. 500 billion for “Kamiab Pakistan” program under which income levels of weaker segments of the society including small farmers would be enhanced with micro credit and interest-free loans through a special database.

He said that PTI governments in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa and Gilgit Baltistan were providing universal health insurance through Health Card, a facility which was not available even in the countries America. Health Card scheme will also be launched in Baluchistan, he added.

The Prime Minister said that as the government cannot establish hospitals across the country, the universal health insurance scheme will also help boost the country’s medical facilities by private sector in rural areas as well. Duty-free import of medical equipment has also been allowed for that purpose, he added.

He said that in order to help the poor families, the government will arrange free of cost technical training of one person from every poor family.

The Prime Minister also mentioned the government’s housing program and said that for the first time poor people, living in slums in big cities, were being provided soft loans for the construction their own houses.

Besides, he said that Four million families have been included in the government’s low-cost housing scheme which was meant for laborers and low income groups.

The Prime Minister said that under Ehaas Program poor families would be provided direct subsidy on basic food items including wheat flour, sugar, ghee and pulses. “Our direction is correct and we are moving towards a welfare state,” he remarked.

About rule of law, he again mentioned the principles of Riasat-e-Madina and said the law and treatment for the weaker and powerful should be same. Any society or country cannot achieve progress without rule of law, he remarked.

Prime Minister Imran Khan mentioned the growing gap between rich and poor nations, and said according a UN report, an amount of US $ 1000 billion annually was sent from poor countries to rich countries through money laundering.

“When a prime minister of a country indulges in corruption and money laundering, how that country can achieve progress”? he questioned. The Prime Minister said Pakistan was also struggling for rule of law.

The Prime Minister mentioned a recent incident in Sindh where some people stopped the officials of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from performing their duties and said, “This is the example of might is right”.

He questioned as to why those parties who remained in power during the last 20 years did not change the NAB law, adding, NAB was now questioning big-wigs.

The Prime Minister said that justice was the second objective of PTI’s vision-statement which it was pursuing. He said when a land-mafia was questioned, some people started blaming the government for victimization.

“Such people can approach the courts, which are free and are not under the government,” he said and remarked that until the powerful people are brought under law, the country could not achieve progress.

About self-esteem, the Prime Minister referred to the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who, he said, “was an independent man in a slave India.”

The Prime Minister recalled his days as opposition member in the National Assembly along with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and said he felt disrespect when the then government decided to become the first line of state in the US war on terror.

“I repeatedly said, what we have to do with it,” he remarked, adding, “it was said that we (Pakistan) should support, as America is annoyed like a wounded bear”.

Prime Minister  pointed out that despite the great sacrifices Pakistan rendered in the US war on terror including the loss of 70,000 lives and US $ 150 billion economic losses, it was declared as most dangerous place in the world.

He said that the country’s army was sent to tribal areas to tackle few hundreds of people, which caused migration of half of our own people from tribal areas.

Imran Khan said due to his opposing views about the US war on terror he was even called “Taliban Khan”.

Regarding drone attacks by the US in Pakistan’s tribal areas, the Prime Minister questioned did this attitude match to a friendly country.

“The heirs of those tribal people killed in the drone attacks were up against Pakistan’s army to revenge,” he remarked.

Describing that period a dark era of Pakistan’s history, the Prime Minister said how a country can allow any other country to attack its areas.

“If a terrorist from Pakistan is living in UK for the last 30 years, will UK allow us to launch a drone attack in their country,” he questioned.

“…Are we sub-humans. Our lives have no cost,” the Prime Minister said and regretted that the then government befooled masses by condemning drone US drone attacks, as later it was revealed in an open hearing of US Senate Committee that the US had permission from Pakistan government for drone attacks.

“We are responsible for our disrespect,” he said.

The Prime Minister then referred to the incident of Osama Operation and said Overseas Pakistanis were hiding their faces due to that disrespect. The US did not trust Pakistan and its institutions at that time, he added.

Imran Khan was also critical of the term of “enlightened moderation” and said what common man would have understood the meaning when he too did not know what it was?.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said when a nation did not care about its self-esteem, no one in the world respected for them. Imran Khan in that respect also mentioned his refusal of giving Pakistani bases to US.

He regretted that despite Pakistan’s sacrifices including the loss of 70,000 lives in the war on terror, the United States blamed the country for dual role. “They are now trying to put their defeat in Afghanistan on us,” he remarked.

The Prime Minister reiterating that Pakistan will never compromise its sovereignty pointed to the upcoming hard situation in Afghanistan. He reiterated his view that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict.

Imran Khan said that Pakistan used its leverage to bring Afghan Taliban on the negotiating table. Now in a situation when the United State has given an exit date from Afghanistan, what Pakistan can do?, he questioned.

The Prime Minister, however, added that a stable and peaceful Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan, as the country wanted connectivity in the region up to Central Asian States for economic gains.

He described incidents of killing of a Pakistani family in Canada as well as stabbing of a young man as a result of hate and Islamophobia.

The Prime Minister lauded the Overseas Pakistanis for their effective contribution in the country’s economy through remittances and encouraged them to send more money and invest in Pakistan for their future.

About Kashmir, Imran Khan reiterated that Pakistan will not normalize relations with India until it reverses its August 5, 2019 actions in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The Prime Minister said his government and the people of Pakistan salute the bravery of Kashmiris and will continue stand in solidarity with them. – APP