Imran resolves to fight poverty, illiteracy, injustice, corruption

ISLAMABAD: With the dawn of a new year, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday resolved to battle poverty, illiteracy, injustice and corruption in the country in 2019.

In a tweet on Jan 1, he declared that his government would wage jihad against the four ills of the country: poverty, illiteracy, injustice and corruption. On an optimistic note, he wrote: "InshaAllah 2019 is the beginning of Pakistan's golden era".

Similarly, President Arif Alvi shared his best wishes for citizens and prayed that the new year would bring success and prosperity to the people and the country. "May Allah grant you and your families success and happiness this year. I also pray that Pakistan continues on its path to progress so that [it] can be rid of poverty, hardship and unemployment," he said in a tweet.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain also congratulated the nation on the New Year and said that the New Year would prove to be a bright step towards new Pakistan. Fawad claimed the nation achieved its political destination under the leadership of Imran Khan last year and this year, it would achieve its economic destination and added the nation would head toward economic stability with speedy pace in the New Year.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan said the government will provide all possible assistance for restoration of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and converting it into a profitable institution. He said that national institutions were ruined by maladministration, corruption and selfishness of concerned in the past. The common man and tax-payers have to bear its burden constantly. Chairing a briefing on PIA here at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Tuesday, he reminded that the PIA being the national flag career is source of recognition of the country across the world.

The briefing was attended by Federal Minister for Aviation Muhammad Mian Soomro, Federal Finance Minister Asad Umar, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar and Chairman PIA Air Marshal Arshad Malik while senior officials were also present in the briefing. The PIA chairman briefed about the ongoing efforts to steer the airline out of difficulties and reforms programme to make the airline as vibrant and profitable institution.

Prime Minister Imran Khan directed to evolve a comprehensive business plan to revive PIA as a profitable institution. The premier said the national flag carrier was made a liability due to mismanagement and corruption for which taxpayers had to share the burden. Expressing satisfaction over the sitting PIA administration, Imran Khan asked the chairman to evolve a comprehensive strategy to overcome the losses being faced by the national flag carrier.

PIA Chairman Air Marshal Arshad Mehmood Malik told the participants that total deficit of the airline stands at Rs414.3 billion. He said that efforts are afoot to eliminate corruption from the national airline. He briefed about three-month and long term plans for improving the service of the airline.

The PIA is facing a deficit of Rs500 million on seven international routes in addition to loss on domestic routes. It was told that 194 ghost employees, 73 cabin crew members and seven pilots had been removed on the basis of fake degrees.