India can’t intimidate Pakistan: Imran

LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday warned India against intimidating Pakistan and said ‘our quest for better relations should not be construed as weakness because the objective behind this pursuit is to bring the people of the Subcontinent out of poverty by starting trade activity’.

“They have some misunderstanding. When we want friendship, it means we desire to end poverty in the Subcontinent. Trade will also revive. Someone should not misunderstand it. This should not be construed as weakness,” he remarked while addressing civil government servants during his visit here. Imran said the people of this country never succumbed to any pressure from any superpower. “If they hurl any threat, the whole nation stands united to face till the end,” he resolved.

He said Pakistan’s desire for friendship was not merely in the interest of Pakistan but both the countries. The prime minister said the arrogant attitude of the Indian leadership should come to an end to improve the situation.

He said improvement in governance in the country and situation in the region could help take off Pakistan’s economy owing to its ideal strategic location with big markets like China, Iran, India and Central Asia in the surrounding.

Imran said he had not visited Saudi Arabia to beg for money, rather he went there for investment. However, he said investors always complained of red-tape in Pakistan which also discouraged the overseas Pakistanis to invest their money in the country.

He told the government servants that the New Pakistan meant a new mindset where the common man would be given protection against the influential ones who had been suffering in the past due to the politicised police.

He assured that the civil servants would observe a clear change with no political intervention in their working; however, he sought their support to establish good governance in the country besides reviving the lost reputation of the bureaucracy in Pakistan. Imran said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police had been depoliticized which later won the public trust.

He said it were the police that had rendered huge sacrifices for elimination of terrorism and revival of peace. The prime minister assured the government servants of full freedom to work without any political pressure. He also advised them to value and not to waste the opportunity.

He said professionalism disappeared when the police got politicised and recalled an instance when a police officer in Hafizabad had been found electioneering for the PML-N. The prime minister said the government needed the civil servants’ support to change the mindset and provide relief to the masses.

He, however, also warned of strict action against officers who would violate the official discipline and recalled that two district officers and a police officer had gone to public instead of complaining to their top hierarchy against the politicians.

He said the political opponents of the PTI had spent around Rs151 billion on advertisements of their performance during the last five years which could not work and contrarily the PTI got double the votes.

The premier said despite an end to the colonial rule, the colonial mindset could not be changed in the country as was evident from the luxurious lifestyle of rulers. He said the PM House of a debt-trapped country owned a fleet of 80 luxurious vehicles and 524 servants contrary to the 10 Downing Street of UK where the rulers lived a simple life.

He advised the district administration to improve the working of police stations in their jurisdictions to provide relief to the poor and also suggested open courts to address public complaints.

The prime minister said complaint cells would be established at the PM Office as well as the Chief Minister’s Office to respond to the complaints of the common man. He admitted that the government servants were drawing salaries far below the standard but added that the country was going through tough circumstances and the pay structure would be improved with the betterment of situation.