In the most important public speech of his life last night, Prime Minister Imran Khan opened up to his compatriots and overseas Pakistanis with a roadmap designed to take the country out of deep economic crisis.
He began the much-anticipated national address following his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s victory in last month’s general elections with a note of thanks to his supporters and party workers, asserting that he had not come here to make a political career, but to help turn it into a welfare state envisioned by the country’s founders.
The prime minister then moved to identify Pakistan’s economic challenges with a plan to overcome them.
“Never in Pakistan’s history have we faced such difficult economic circumstances,” he said. “Our debt burden is now at Rs28tn. We haven’t been as indebted in our entire history as we have become in the last 10 years.”
Turning to his oft-repeated mantra about the chasm between Pakistan’s rich and poor, which he blames for its misplaced priorities, he said: “The prime minister has 524 servants and 80 cars. The prime minister also has 33 bulletproof cars, helicopters, and aeroplanes. We have massive Governor Houses and every conceivable luxury.”
How could it be, he asked, that: “On the one hand, we don’t have money to spend on our people, and on the other we have people living like our colonial masters used to live?”
The premier then explained that he will use the examples of governance set forth by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) “to bring the nation out of its plight”.
“What did the Holy Prophet do to unite all the tribes living in the Arabian peninsula?” he asked. “What did he do to mould them [the Arabs] into one of the most powerful nations on earth? I want to speak on those principles today.”
Khan then proceeded to give a five-point agenda.
“The first thing is the supremacy of law,” he said. “The law has to be the same for everyone; the second is Zakat (giving alms to the poor); the third compassion; the fourth merit, and the fifth, education.”
“The Prophet stressed education above everything else. After the Battle of Badr, he made it incumbent on his people to attain an education,” Khan said. “Look at us today: we are nowhere because we have not followed his instructions.”
Khan detailed how he plans on cutting down his own as well the country’s expenditure, saying: “I will keep only two people with me out of the (prime minister’s staff) of 524.
“I will be staying in a three-bedroom house that served as the military secretary’s house.
“I will have to keep two of the cars because my intelligence agencies tell me my life is under threat.
“I also wish I did not have to move out of Banigala (his private residence), but I have been forced to do so because it is not safe to stay there.”
“I am forming a committee under Dr Ishrat Husain to figure out how to cut expenses nationwide,” Khan revealed.
On reforming the financial sector, the prime minister explained that instead of trying to rebuild the economy via external loans, his government will try and fulfil its needs from within.
“We also need to pay our taxes. I am going to fix the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on a priority basis. It has lost its credibility and that is why people don’t pay taxes,” he said. “I will promise my people that I will protect your tax money and spend it on you.
“We will keep our end of the bargain, but I want you to pay your taxes too. That is your responsibility. Pay your taxes so that we can lift our destitute out of poverty,” Khan stressed.
He invited overseas Pakistanis to invest in the country, saying: “We need to facilitate overseas Pakistanis. Our embassies need to facilitate them in every way we can.”
“I have a special message for overseas Pakistanis,” Khan said. “We are trying our best to create a good investment environment for you. We want you to bring your money to Pakistan and park it in Pakistani banks.
“We are short of foreign exchange, and I hope you will park your money in Pakistani bank accounts. Send your money through official accounts. We need your help and I hope you will help us.”
The prime minister said that rooting out corruption will also be a priority for his government.
“I will meet the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman and facilitate him with whatever he needs,” he said. “We will also enact a law for whistleblowers like we did in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“Whoever helps identify corruption will get a share of the money that we recover.
“The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) will be fixed on a priority basis.
“The Federal Intelligence Agency (FIA) will also be fixed.”
Khan said that his focus will also be to improve public sector education as well as madrassas (seminaries).
“We also need to fix our education system,” he said. “We need to focus on government schools, which are in a shambles.”
“I know that salaried individuals are making huge sacrifices to make sure their children get a decent education,” Khan added. “They sometimes work two jobs to give their children the best they can.
He stressed on the need to “fix the healthcare system.
It is immensely difficult to fix the pre-existing system”.
“It takes time: the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health system did not start showing results till the fifth year,” Khan pointed out. “But we still need to do it.”
On the issue of water scarcity, Khan said that a “water crisis is brewing”, which require dams to be built to resolve it.
“There was a crisis brewing but we are not prepared,” he said. “We have an emergency. Karachi doesn’t have water due to the tanker mafia. Quetta and Islamabad too.”
“A ministry will work towards saving water. New methods will be taught to farmers,” he promised. “Canals will be lined to save water, while the Bhasha Dam will be constructed at all costs.”
On the matter of job creation, the prime minister said that “jobs must be given to the country’s youth”.
“A big project of housing will be started. It will be a one-window operation [create] jobs and (to boost) industries. The youth will be given loans without interest so they can become entrepreneurs,” Khan said. “Cricket grounds have been taken over and houses schemes made over them. We need to build playgrounds and parks for them.”
On the environment, Khan said that he will replicate KP’s “billion tree” programme in the entire country.
“We planted 1bn trees in KP,” he said. “We will bring our expertise and plant trees all over the country.
In conclusion, Khan exhorted the nation to play a more proactive role in the rebuilding.
“I need your help,” he said. “When you are being robbed you don’t wait for the police to come. You nab them and hand them over.
“(Similarly), you should help me catch these robbers of the nation. This is the social media age. (Keep an eye out) and report such people. We have to act as a team.”


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