Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday announced his 11-point agenda to make a ‘Naya Pakistan’, a country which, according to him, will be free of all injustices and where all the citizens will enjoy equal rights.

Addressing a mammoth gathering at iconic Minar-e-Pakistan, the PTI chief lamented that today’s Pakistan was contrary to Quaid and Allama Iqbal’s vision. He said Pakistan was formed on the model of Medina as Quaid-e-Azam wanted a separate piece of land which would afford equal rights to all the citizens, including the minorities.

He highlighted the declining respect of Pakistan in the eyes of US by showing some clips of military ruler Ayub Khan, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during their visits to the country.

He said Pakistan’s foreign debt has climbed to Rs 27,000 billion, which was only Rs 6,000 billion in 2008. He said 25 million children in the country were still out of schools.

Announcing his 11-point agenda, Imran said they would introduce uniform syllabus in all the schools across the country. Health insurance would be ensured for all citizens by constructing new international standard hospitals. All the debt of the country will be repaid by collecting money through charity campaigns, like it was done for the cancer hospitals. He was convinced that he could collect charity of Rs 8,000 billion every year to pay back the debts. The PTI chief said that they would end corruption by strengthening the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Referring to his party legislators issued charge sheet over allegedly selling their votes in the recent Senate elections, Imran said that he has videos of them counting cash.

Imran said they would reduce taxes on electricity and gas to enhance industrial investment in the country.

Five million houses will be built for the lower class and will be provided to them on cheaper rates.

Tourism sector would be strengthened as it has the potential of creating jobs for thousands of unemployed youth. He announced that they will explore at least four new places for tourism every year.

For small farmers, the PTI chief said that he would save them from the sugar mafia and also facilitate them with new seeds and other facilities.

He announced that he would merge FATA into KP province. He said that they would introduce the direct election of lord mayor and mayor in the local government, according to the local government system in KP. Punjab Police would be de-politicized on the pattern of KP, and all civil cases will be decided within a year.

For the empowerment of women, the PTI chief announced that girls would be provided with quality education, legally protected and provided right of property.

More than 0.2 million activists of the party from across the country participated in the rally and unanimously endorsed the 11-point agenda announced by the party chief.

Published in Daily Times, April 30^th 2018.