Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday expressed his resolve to eliminate the status quo resisting the reforms being introduced in different sectors of the country.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the 42nd annual winter meeting of the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA) and Khyber Medical College Alumni Association (KMCAA), he said the corrupt mafia is offering resistance to his government’s efforts to introduce reforms in the ailing government departments. “The government will not budge from its reforms plan at any cost,” he declared in unequivocal words. “Leave aside such resistance in the health and education system, such elements had been working in Federal Board of Revenue, among the traders and those doing business through the smuggled goods,” he said. ‘Whenever you bring about reforms and changes to the old system, they create wrong impressions among the masses,” he added.
The prime minister reminded the nation that they should not be depressed with such a scenario as ultimately they will win this war against the corrupt mafia.
Dilating upon the difference between functioning of two sets of governments, he said his government wants to bring about reforms and thus facing pressure and resistance. On the other hand, in the past, different governments just focused on completing their five-year term, he said. “It is our responsibility to face this pressure,” he said, and urged the nation to support his government’s endeavours in bringing about change with new reforms and administrative structures.
The prime minister regretted that during 1960s, Pakistan had been a leading country in the whole region in terms of development. But afterwards, it lagged behind due to the status quo and corrupt system, and even Bangladesh has excelled economically, he said. Citing the prevalent rustic administrative system and bureaucratic hurdles, he said bringing about a change will be a difficult task but those nations succeeded which faced it and referred to successful reforms introduced in Malaysia and Turkey by their political leadership.
The prime minister urged the members of APPNA to effectively highlight the ongoing Indian government’s brutalities in the Indian-held Kashmir which has turned the whole occupied valley into an ‘open air jail’ for the last five months. He said whatever the RSS-BJP-led fascist and racist Indian government has been doing in the occupied valley and across country is a sheer violation of the international laws. He likened these patterns of oppression and ethnic cleansing of minorities to those of Hitler Nazi’s regime. “It is unprecedented in the modern history that about eight million Kashmiris have been put in an open-air prison,” he said, adding that the controversial citizens bill is also being strongly opposed by all communities living inside India as it is aimed at targeting the Muslim minority.
The prime minister said it is a crucial time for the whole world and Pakistan because fearing the backlash after lifting of curfew in Kashmir and home agitation, the Indian government can resort to some kind of misadventure or ‘false flag operation’ against Pakistan to divert increasing global attention from its burning domestic issues. “But the genie has come out of the bottle,” he said, adding that in Myanmar, similar acts were taken for the ethnic cleansing of the Muslims.
The prime minister said his government is committed to bring investment in the country through ease of doing business initiatives. He cited a report of the World Bank which marked the progress the country has made in the ease of doing business and economic outlook. He said they are aware of the issues faced by the overseas Pakistanis and are making all-out efforts to facilitate them.
Recalling his interaction with the overseas Pakistanis due to his long cricket career experience abroad spanning over about two decades, he said it is a vast interaction which no political figure in the country can ever claim to have. He said the overseas Pakistanis possess huge talent and qualification which can be beneficial for their homeland. He said Allah Almighty has gifted Pakistan with immense potential and natural resources, including water, minerals and gold, which require to be tapped for the prosperity of the country.
Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan said the incumbent government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has allocated record funds for the development of the tribal districts and it is a great success of the government to take forward tribal areas’ merger process. In a meeting with the members of the provincial cabinet, he regretted that in the past, these areas had been neglected. The main objective behind the merger of erstwhile tribal areas is to provide facilities to the residents of these areas at par with other areas of the country. He said provision of job opportunities to the youth of the merged districts is among the top priorities of the government.
