By News Desk
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said if the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was sincere with resolving the people’s problems, his government would have been toppled, but because they were only concerned with their own gains they would “never succeed”.
His remarks came amid a flurry of meetings organised by opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif to reunite the opposition under a single narrative as the government prepares to present its third federal budget in the weeks to come.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (PPP) bowed out of the PDM over show-cause notices issued to them after the two parties manoeuvred former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani into the Senate opposition leader’s slot without the blessing of the PDM leadership.
Responding to public queries during a live TV programme ‘Aapka Wazir-e-Azam Aap kai Sath’, the Prime Minister said the economic growth rate has baffled his political opponents who wanted the government to fail in meeting the economic challenges left behind by successive governments.
The Prime Minister said if the opposition’s objective was aligned with the welfare of the people, “they would have toppled the government a long time ago”.
“But their interests are personal in nature. They have banded together not under any ideology or for the country, but simply because they want to blackmail us into taking back the corruption cases against them — which had been in place even before we came into power,” the Premier said.
He said the opposition think the people are fools, who have been watching their wealth grow for the past 30 years. “Those who had bicycles, now have Land Cruisers. Those who had a cycle business, now have apartments in London’s Mayfair and do not own cars any lesser than Bentleys and Rolls Royces.
“They reside in London neighbourhoods where even the British prime minister cannot afford to live. And Britain’s yearly revenue is 50 times that of Pakistan’s with a population only 30 per cent of the size of ours,” the Prime Minister said.
He said the opposition really “does not know the people of Pakistan”, if it thinks the people will believe their narrative and help them get an “NRO”. “They had not fathomed that we would come out of this economic crisis. And now that they see the predicted growth and the economic indicators which are on the right path, they are again trying to [do something] and I know they will try to do something during the budget. But they will not be able to win, come what may.”
The country’s projected growth rate at more than 4 per cent will spur economic activities in the country, providing job opportunities and reducing price hike, he said.
He added that his government had inherited historic problems with current account deficit and burden of loans. He said how his government steered the boat out of these difficult waters was crucial.
“We have to go through these ordeals. I am pleased over the success of 4 per cent growth rate which according to experts is estimated to further increase,” he added.
The Prime Minister said there are problems, price hike and unemployment, but when the wheel of economy turns and growth rate increases, people will get employment which will reduce their poverty.
He said an automation system will be fully introduced in tax collection. In the past, it was resisted by the people who were benefiting from the corrupt regime. The track and trace system, he said, will also help the system to function smoothly, besides enhancing tax collection.
About normalisation of trade ties with India, the Prime Minister said from day one, he tried to improve bilateral ties, but after India’s illegal and unilateral steps of August 5 in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, it would not happen.
Under such situation, it would amount to treachery with the people of Kashmir. About 100,000 Kashmiris had sacrificed their lives. Restoring trade with India is unthinkable unless they take back their illegal steps. About Palestine issue, the Prime Minister it is similar to what is happening in Kashmir. Kashmiris and Palestinians are facing illegal settlements aimed at changing the demography with continuation of system of oppression. The Prime Minister said only two-state is the only solution as a step forward.