Imran says joined politics to make nation

HAFIZABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday that that he did not join politics to know the prices of "aloo and tamatar," but decided to become a politician to make a great nation.

He said that three rats who came out to hunt down the PTI government would badly fail and instead they would themselves fall prey. He said this while addressing a big gathering at Hanif Muhammad Stadium here.

He said that the corrupt wanted to purchase the conscience of others by the wealth they amassed through corruption and their attempts would be foiled with people’s power. Prime Minister Imran Khan said, “Unless a nation stands united, corruption, injustices and sex crimes would continue to degenerate the society.”

The prime minister said that a true leader would not bow or please anyone for the sake of his nation and country. “Our previous prime minister sat before the US president trembling and holding a paper in his hand. Can such kind of leaders raise self-respect of a nation?” he said this without naming former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with former US president.

The prime minister said that a true leader always raises nation’s spirit and cited the example of founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. “The world respects that individual or the country that has self-respect,” he opined.

The prime minister reiterated that Pakistan wanted equal ties with all the countries. “But as a prime minister of a country with 220 million population, it is my first and foremost duty to protect people’s rights and interests of the country. I will not allow any policy which can inflict any harm on the motherland. I will not compromise on the national interests just for seeking pleasure of any country,” he stressed.

The prime minister referred to his US visit, where he stayed in a room of Pakistan Embassy. Taking pride in Shalwar Kameez, the prime minister said that he did not spend $1.2 million or $1.4 million as wasted by Zardari and Nawaz Sharif during their visits.

The prime minister also justified his criticism of the EU ambassadors’ open letter over Russian-Ukraine conflict, which he maintained was against all diplomatic protocols. “Whether they had addressed such a letter to India. We are no slave to anyone,” he added.

Expressing his wonder, the prime minister said his opponents, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto issued statements against him for raising his voice against such incidents. He said that he knew the West and their mindset very well as they looked down upon those who had polished their shoes or those who were ready to serve them for petty gains.

On the contrary, they respect those who stand for self-esteem of their nations and countries. They had no respect for those who had stashed away their ill-gotten wealth abroad, he added. The PM said that he had been striving hard to make Pakistanis a great nation for the last 25 years and he would continue his struggle in this respect.

“We have cordial relations with all the countries and have envisaged independent foreign policy,” he said and added that he would not compromise on the interests of the nation. He said that Pakistan is an ideological state and they should endeavour to make the country a welfare state in accordance with the teachings of Hazrat Muhammad (SAW). He, however, warned that the nation which deviates from its ideology loses its integrity and solidarity.

Prime Minister Imran Khan desisted from calling Maulana Fazlur Rehman ‘diesel’ — as he did in his past several public meetings — when the crowd used the same nickname for the JUIF chief in its slogans.

He advised the masses to adopt the teachings of the Holy Prophet (SAW) to become a great nation. Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said that the PTI government during the past about four years had started development projects worth over Rs18.70 billion for Hafizabad including 400-bed DHQ hospital, setting up of University of Hafizabad, two new associate colleges, 26 development projects (water supply, filtration plants etc.), 64 Rural Centres, 53 Revenue Rural Centres, issuance of health cards etc.

Earlier, the people of Hafizabad accorded historic welcome to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on their arrival. PTI Vice Chairman and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister for Planning Asad Umar, Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, SAPM Dr Shahbaz Gill, Shaukat Bhatti, MNA, and other leadership was also present.

The prime minister also inaugurated different educational, health and road infrastructure projects. The prime minister expressed the confidence that Pakistan would soon become a great country and would become a example in the world by following the principles of the Riasat-e-Madina.

Citing the recent Indian missile firing, he said Pakistan adopted a prudent approach. “Pakistan is a country that can defend itself. Pakistan is moving on the right path and its economy is set on the right course,” he added.

About opposition parties’ no-confidence motion, the prime minister said that all thieves had gathered to pull down the government. The prime minister said during previous governments of PPP and PMLN, about 400 drone attacks were recorded inside Pakistan territory.

Pakistan had been fighting their war, but neither Zardari nor Sharif had the courage to condemn such blatant violations of the international laws and human rights, he regretted. On the contrary, the prime minister said, he had always opposed those attacks, staged sit-ins, and gave statements in the United States and the United Kingdom, calling these attacks a grave violation of basic human rights and global principles.

Sharing one such experience, he told a group of European representatives, whether they would allow use of drone against a terrorist and criminal sitting in London who had killed scores of people in Karachi.

The prime minister further said that his objective for entering politics was to make the young generation and the nation realise the real ideology of Pakistan as propounded by Allama Muhammad Iqbal.

He said it was the state’s responsibility to create awareness among the masses about the virtue and evil. For the purpose to inculcate those principles in the young generations, he had decided to establish Rehmatul-ill-Alameen Authority, so that they could get awareness about the Seerah of Holy Prophet (PBUH) who is a mercy for the whole world.

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) had gathered people from all faiths on one ideology of justice, self-esteem, welfare and equal treatment of all with strict adherence to the rule of law, he maintained. The prime minister said in the West, no one dare purchase loyalty or bribe any member of Parliament as they knew that society could not tolerate such shabby acts.

The prime minister further regretted that with the passage of time, Pakistani nation also went down from the path of progress and prosperity as their past rulers did not realise as to why Pakistan was created, adding no past leadership ever realised that ideology.

Enumerating his government’s major achievements, the prime minister said they had introduced uniform syllabus for the nation, for the first time, in the last seventy years.

He said the English language should not be a criteria for creating differences in the society, adding they were also introducing contemporary subjects in the religious seminaries, so that students there, should also become engineers, judges and doctors.

The prime minister said that they were offering a total of 2.6 million scholarships for the youth of the country and the process was being monitored by the PM Office to ensure merit. He said two state-of-the-art universities, were being set up, including the one with focus on research in the latest aerospace technology, so that the country could become self-sufficient in the indigenous production of planes etc.

He said after a gap of 15 years, the OIC FM conference was being hosted by Pakistan, showing the success of its foreign policy. The prime minister also cited launch of different social and economic uplift initiatives like health cards, social relief packages and financial support initiatives under the flagship Ehsaas programme, extension of interest-free loans, investment opportunities and the economic growth resulting in the economic turnaround of the country. He expressed the confidence that during their five-year term in the government, unmatched development works were being completed in Punjab province.