PM predicts forward bloc in assemblies

ISLAMABAD/CHAKWAL – Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday predicted that opposition parties would face formation of forward bloc in the parliament and provincial assemblies. 

“It is my prediction that soon they will form forward bloc in the assemblies,” the prime minister stated this while talking to reporters during his visit to Punjab’s Chakwal district. 

Responding to a question about the resignations announced by leaders of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), PM Imran Khan said that their legislators had spent millions of rupees on election campaigns so how could they resign on their assertions.  

The prime minister further said Maulana had already been a 12th man (referred to an extra player in a team) and upon his demands who would tender resignation. They (legislators) would not accede to such demands.

Their parties knew it very well that these antics were employed by their leadership to save their corruption, he added. Maulana possessed billion of rupees worth properties while his source of income had been unknown, the prime minister said, wondering ‘whether these were acquired through magic!’ 

“They have to give answers to these questions, but they are out to sacrifice their members of parliament,” he added. The prime minister further said PDM leadership considered public as fools but it proved otherwise, as evident from their call for a public gathering in Lahore. 

They were thinking that people would come out to protect their corruption, he maintained. He said the whole nation knew these corruption tainted leaders very well who had plundered the country in the last thirty years. Their scions had been living aboard in princely manner.

The prime minister further said these leaders had failed to produce even a single receipt to justify their resources. The prime minister to another question said he would soon address the nation on electricity issue. He said contracts had been signed by the previous regimes for production of power at expensive rates. The country had been producing costly power in the whole region.  

The prime minister said there was only Rs three difference per unit in the cost of power production and its sale. He also linked the power production cost to circular debt and said different efforts were afoot to control prices so that people were not burdened.  

The prime minister said circular debt had been a burden on the whole country. Negotiations with the Independent Power Producers were continuing to further reduce the power tariff, he added.

The prime minister replying to another query, stressed upon increasing country’s export. He said they were focusing on olive plantation so that the country could produce huge oil and able to export it. The prime minister said they had imported edible oil at cost of US $ 2.5 billion. The prices of edible oil increased due to surge in the international market, he said. Avocado had been regarded as another precious vegetable, so efforts were being made to boost cash crops and value-added production in the agriculture sector which could be exported, he added.

‘Blackmailing or pressure tactics’

Alluding to the opposition, Imran Khan on Saturday said that PDM is undermining the country by targeting the institutions in their speeches and regretted that the language being used by the PDM leaders is same to that of the Indian propaganda machine against Pakistan. 

“The way the political opposition of Pakistan has attacked the Pakistan Army, this has never happened before in our history,” he said while addressing a gathering in Chakwal after laying the foundation stone of various projects in the district. 

“I have never seen any opposition targeting army… just for sake of NRO through blackmailing or pressure tactics. If any government gives NRO to these thieves, it would be the treason even bigger than that by an enemy,” the prime minister said

Prime Minister said it is unprecedented how the opposition parties have attacked the country’s Armed Forces and have used the same language that the Indian propaganda machine uses against them.

The Prime Minister during his day long visit to Chakwal performed ground-breaking of various development projects including Chakwal University, a five hundred-bed hospital, a Law College and the Ring Road.

He said the opposition complains of rigging in the last elections, but it neither presented any evidence nor did it move any forum in this regard.

Imran Khan said the previous rulers who looted wealth of the country want to build pressure for securing NRO on their cases. He said giving them NRO by any government will be tantamount to sedition against the country. The prime minister lambasted opposition for blaming the army over poll rigging without even approaching the relevant forums.

He said Pervez Musharraf used to be criticised for his involvement in politics. He said targeting Army Chief and Director General Inter Services Intelligence was tantamount to speaking the language of India which had the most anti-Indian and anti-Muslim government of the subcontinent.

The prime minister said if opposition was given NRO, the future generation would learn that country had discriminatory laws for the elite and poor. He said the country needed a strong army more than ever but unfortunately, the opposition was targeting them even feeding the fake media sites exposed by European Union based DisinfoLab.

He said the Indian fake propaganda was meant to undermine Pakistan and destabilise it besides keeping investors away from the country. 

He said the international media had widely published corruption stories of opposition leaders who had also penalised each other in corruption cases. He said even opposition leaders tried to provoke coup within the army in case the leadership did not remove the elected government. Also, he said the Opposition was pressing army to remove an elected government.

The prime minister said Musharraf had given them NRO and consequently the country’s debt swelled from Rs 6000 billion to Rs 30,000 billion during their 10 years tenure. He said the government was left with minimal resources for spending on public welfare after paying Rs 4700 billion for debt payment.

‘Qualification to lead a political party’

Without naming Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz, the prime minister questioned their qualification to lead a political party except being the children of those who ruled and looted country for three decades. 

Imran Khan said that the government will ensure universal health coverage in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtukhwa by the end of next year under the Health Card Scheme. The Prime Minister said by next year, every family in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will have Health Card, enabling them to get free medical treatment up to one million rupees in any hospital of the country.

He said the government plans to build a health system that will ensure basic health facility across the country. He said the private sector is being encouraged and facilitated to establish hospitals.

Underlining the importance of education for overall development of the country, Imran Khan said the government that plans for the next generations focuses on education. He said the country will grow fast if its youth is equipped with education and technological skills.

Imran Khan said his government is working to reduce the debt burden of the country. In this direction, he said, a major milestone has been achieved. He said the country’s Current Account has been in surplus for the last five months for the first time in 17 years. Similarly, he said fiscal deficit is also being controlled.

The Prime Minister vowed to make the government’s Ehsaas Program the best poverty alleviation program in the world. He said he is going to launch another program aimed at ensuring that no citizen sleeps hungry. He said a revolutionary local government system will be introduced that will empower people at grassroots level.

Punjab Higher Education Minister Raja Yasir Sarfaraz said the groundbreaking of development projects was in fact the fulfillment of the commitment, PTI had made in 2013. He said for country’s economic stability, the skilled human resource and low cost energy were a must. He said the Chakwal university linkages would be established with international institutes.

Punjab Mines and Mineral Minister Hafiz Ammar Yasir, from Pakistan Muslim League-Q, assured the government of his party’s support contrary to the rumours of any differences by the opposition. He thanked Director General, ISI Lt General Faiz Hameed who also came from Chakwal, for his support for development projects.

Member National Assembly Sardar Zulfiqar thanked the prime minister for initiating projects worth Rs 15 billion in the area hoping that it would uplift the district. He urged the Punjab government to swiftly release funds for the projects approved under Annual Development Program.

The event was attended by Punjab Ministers of Higher Education, Raja Yasir Sarfaraz, Mines and Minerals, Hafiz Ammar Yasir, Health, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Special Assistant to Chief Minister for information and Technology Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan besides political workers and notables of the city.