Daily Times

JHANG/QUETTA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday vowed to bring in an empowered local government system in the country which, according to him, will help effectively resolve problems of any area at the local level.

Addressing an election campaign rally here, the PTI chief said elected leaders never boast provision of basic facilities such as healthcare and education to the people, but rather this is the characteristic of monarchies. “Nowhere in the world do elected democrats announce projects as a favour to the people. This is the behaviour of monarchs, not democratically elected leaders,” he said.

Imran said if given an opportunity to serve after the July 25 elections, he will introduce a more robust local government system and introduce reforms to strengthen institutions. “Institutions are strengthened in democracies. While in the third world countries, a prime minister becomes king … and thinks himself to be above all and exempt from any accountability,” he said.

The PTI chief said that the decisions related to Jhang were being taken by people sitting in Lahore who knew nothing about problems of the area. “The Kings of Lahore do not know the problems of Jhang,” he said.

Imran said that former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif imposed a metro bus system in Multan worth Rs 60 billion which was running into losses. “An empty metro bus is running in Pakistan. Sharif family launched the project just to earn commissions from it,” he said, adding that people of Multan still say that they do not need a metro bus in their city.

The PTI chief said that half of Punjab’s development budget was used in Lahore, while 30 per cent of the budget in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was used to build institutions and another 30 per cent funds were used at the district level.

Imran vowed to reform police in Punjab similar to that in KP by eliminating political interference and ensuring merit-based recruitments. He said that crime and terrorism had been reduced significantly in KP. “Shehbaz used Punjab police to kill his own people. Sharifs have destroyed the very institution of police,” he said, referring to the Model Town incident in Lahore in which 17 people lost their lives due to firing by police.

Meanwhile, during his visit to Quetta to condole with the families of the Mastung blast victims, Imran Khan termed the bombing a conspiracy to delay the upcoming elections. “Pakistan’s internal and external enemies are behind the Mastung attack,” he claimed.

Terming Raisani an asset for his party and a diehard patriot, Imran said he realised the true scale of the Mastung tragedy after meeting the families of the victims.

The PTI chief also criticised the rampant corruption in the country and the role of the last federal government in allegedly rigging the 2013 general elections.

Imran, accompanied by party spokesperson Naeemul Haque and other members, visited CMH to inquire after those injured in the attack. He later visited the Raisani family at their home to offer condolences.

Meanwhile, PTI Bannu president on Sunday said the party had decided to postpone their rally scheduled in the city for Monday (today). “The party has decided to postpone the rally owing to security concerns,” Matiullah Khan said.

Published in Daily Times, July 16^th 2018.