ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan today (Thursday) has claimed that his political opponents and “mafia” want to topple his government “because they feared the PTI’s success”.
Addressing the virtual groundbreaking ceremony of Balochistan’s Naukundi-Mashkhel road in Islamabad, the premier without naming anyone said, “The mafia is blackmailing him to get NRO or else they will topple his government.”
He recalled the 2018 general elections, saying that despite many hurdles his government secured the two-third majority in Khyber-Paktunkhwa due to our performance. “Our opponents are wary of the same results in the upcoming elections at the national level,” he added.
“They’re all afraid now of us. Hence they start wishing from the first day that the government may fail because they see their political death,” said the premier. PM Imran further said he wanted to see all big mafias being brought under the ambit of the law by the end of his government’s five years.
Citing an example of China, the Prime Minister said that the country pursued accountability and brought the powerful under the law while also raising its poor segment up.
Welfare of the poor
Talking about the welfare of the poor, he cited the initiatives such as medical insurance through health cards, reducing the disparity between English- and Urdu-medium education through the Single National Curriculum, constructing ‘Panahgahs’ for labourers and mobile food trucks for distribution of meals in poor areas.
“With the agricultural reforms we are doing, you will see we will change the lives of farmers,” he said, adding, “The biggest way to reduce poverty is helping small-scale farmers.”
The premier also announced that data would soon be collected of poor households and direct subsidies would be provided to them through the Ehsaas programme.
Naukundi-Mashkhel
He also highlighted the importance of the Naukundi-Mashkhel road, saying,”This is a road which will have a great impact on Pakistan in the long term.” He said Balochistan had been left behind in development and thus bringing connectivity was important for Pakistan’s future.
PM Imran vowed that his government will make all-out efforts to bring the least developed areas particularly Balochistan at par with other provinces. “Our government will build as many roads in Balochistan which no previous government had ever built,” he added.
