ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan today (Thursday) asserted that Pakistan has always suffered when it chased Western ideologies, opining that nationals must never think of doing something that the West wants.
He was addressing a gathering in Islamabad held to showcase a documentary “Paani ke pankh” that highlights the importance of Pakistan harnessing its hydropower capabilities.
“People thought the more they look like people from the West, the more they will seem moderate,” he said, adding that a nation only does such things when it lacks confidence.
He said that Pakistan needs only one image — that it is an independent nation, one that is standing on its own feet and has confidence. “It was a major mistake to take part in someone else’s war,” he said, referring to Pakistan supporting the US post 9/11 in the fight against terrorism.
“We fell under pressure and took part in their war. First, we took part in the [Soviet-Afghan War] in the 80s and glorified the mujahideen and then after 9/11, we labelled them terrorists and at their bidding began fighting them,” said the premier.
The premier also said that Pakistan must always aim to be self-reliant and not be afraid to have lofty dreams. “This is having an inferiority complex. When a country loses self-confidence, it begins to think of how to please others,” he added.
The Prime Minister further said that nation must realise that strength comes from within. “We have to strengthen the nation and make it stand on its own feet. We have to ready the nation to pay taxes, without which we won’t be able to educate our citizens,” he added.
PM Imran Khan also spoke of previous governments, saying that they only thought of their own election campaigns instead of planning ahead for resources. He characterised the 2008-2018 period as the “decade of darkness”.
