2020 to be year of prosperity, says Imran

NOWSHERA: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that 2020 would be the year of prosperity for Pakistan and its people as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was taking steps to provide maximum relief to the people.

“Providing relief to the people including the salaried-class and raising their living standards is central to our policies in 2020,” he said while addressing a gathering held in connection with the inauguration of the Azakhel Dry Port in Nowshera.

Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak, Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, ministers and members of the national and provincial assemblies were also present on the occasion.

Imran Khan said that the government was taking steps to provide facilities to the people and create jobs. The dry port would help create jobs for the local youth and boost the local industries, he added.

The prime minister said that it was unfortunate that the successive governments did not spend money on improving the railways’ infrastructure. He said that the dry port project was launched in 2016 and his government spent about Rs500 million to complete it in one year.

The prime minister added that the British Raj had left behind a robust railways system in the country, but in the last 70 years, the railroads could not be expanded rather these shrank.

“The indifference of the past rulers towards railways deprived the common people of the right to the cheap mode of transportation and travel as the ruling junta made such policies for the benefit of certain people,” he remarked.

He said his government launched the Ehsaas Programme with Rs190 billion to provide relief and facilities to the people from the downtrodden segments of the society.

Imran maintained that his government also provided about Rs6 billion to the Utility Stores Corporation to bring down the prices of the essential commodities in an effort to mitigate the sufferings of the have-nots.

The premier said that the government was also considering introducing the ration cards for the benefit of the less fortunate in society. “The PTI government is also taking steps to extend the health cards to all the people,” he added.

He said that this year the government would start building the promised five million houses under the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme to provide cheap accommodation to the low-income families.

Shedding light on the performance of his government, he said that action was also taken against the land grabbers and state land worth billions of rupees was reclaimed, adding that the details would soon be made public.

The prime minister went on to add that it was the top priority of his government to make Pakistan a welfare state in the true sense, adding that the year 2020 would prove to be a milestone towards that end.

Speaking on the occasion, Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said that the Azakhel Dry Port was spread over 28 acres of land and it had an additional 36 acres of land for expansion in future. He added that the project was completed at a cost of Rs510 million and it could house three trains at a time.

He went on to add that the Pakistan Railways earned Rs10 billion last year.

In his address, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak said that PTI had become the most popular party under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He added that the people of Nowshera had reposed their trust in the PTI leadership by voting for the Imran Khan-led party in the last two general elections.