Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said that he is ready for talks with everyone but there would never be any reconciliation with those who looted the nation’s wealth.

“We are ready to talk to everyone who has a different ideology or whom we call right or left. We are ready to resolve our issues with them peacefully be they are in Balochistan or erstwhile tribal areas or Waziristan. Only the ones whom we will never make any reconciliation with are those who looted and laundered the Pakistani people’s money,” he said while addressing a big public gathering after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of several development projects in Mianwali.

“However, those who came to power and stole money will not be given an NRO or offered reconciliation,” the premier said in his address. “Every civilised society puts such people in jail; it does not reconcile with them,” he said, adding that countries go poor when ‘big thieves’ go scot-free and those who commit petty theft are thrown into jail.

Speaking of past rulers, the prime minister said that no previous government ever thought of development that is of benefit to the underprivileged sections of society.

“It my aim is to bring greater development to the backward areas of Pakistan,” he said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan would never bow before anyone from now onwards, rather would make independent decisions that would be better for its own people. “God willing, when we complete our five years, I can claim that Mianwali will witness the development which never happened in the history I always promised that if I get a chance, I will provide (the people) their right through my performance,” the prime minister said while addressing the gathering. He further told the gathering that it wasn’t Pakistan alone that was facing inflation, but the whole world was going through the repercussions of it, owing to Covid lockdowns.

“You will have to understand, it is not only Pakistan’s issue. The US, which is the richest country, is also facing the worst inflation after 1982, due to lockdown,” he said. The premier said that Pakistan was still the cheapest country, and hoped that the prices will come down globally within three to four months. He added that the government had announced the Ehsaas Rashan Scheme to provide 30 per cent subsidy on flour, ghee and pulses to those with below Rs50,000 monthly income to lessesn the pressure of inflation on the poor. Moreover, he also highlighted the government’s initiatives of interest-free loans for three million families, Rs2.7 million interest-free loan for house building, health card for the whole of Punjab by next March and Rs47 billion higher education scholarships for 6.2 million students

PM Imran told the gathering that he, during his election campaign, had promised to uplift the deprived areas of South Punjab, tribal areas, and others that faced neglect during the tenures of past governments. Earlier, he unveiled the plaques to mark the inauguration of three projects worth Rs5.4 billion, including the first phase of Mianwali-Sargodha Road which cost Rs3.6 billion and City Park and Miyawaki Forest near Namal Lake. He performed the groundbreaking of the project to upgrade the 38-kilometre Kalabagh-Shakardara road – to cost Rs2.70 billion – and the DHQ Hospital – to cost about Rs2 billion.

The prime minister also launched multiple projects under the Rs6.6 billion PM Package-II and District Development Package which consisted of Rescue 1122 service, 72 road projects and the up-gradation of schools. Among the new projects inaugurated were also the rehabilitation and upgrading of Balkasar-Mianwali road, with an estimated cost of Rs13.5 billion, and the Wooded Land at Namal Lake and Kundia Forest Park, costing Rs120 million.

When he began his speech, the premier thanked the people of Mianwali, crediting his premiership to the party workers there.