PM terms expats heroes of country

DOHA: Describing the overseas Pakistanis as the country’s heroes due to their hard work abroad for their families as well as for the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday said his government would steer the country out of difficulties, ensure its economic uplift and bring in pride for the green passport.

“Don’t worry! Your country will become a country where there will be respect for green passport,” the prime minister said while addressing a huge gathering of Pakistani community here at Al Wakara Stadium.

Imran Khan, who was upbeat over the unprecedented gathering and welcome by the community at the stadium, said he was addressing such a huge a public gathering for the first time after his election rallies. He said always loved and respected the overseas Pakistanis, who worked hard even 18 hours a day for feeding their families at home and also contributing in the country’s development.

“When I visited Italy, some young Pakistanis met me. They used to work 18 hours a day and six persons used to share a room to save money. The people, who are working, are considered very close to Allah Almighty,” he remarked.

The prime minister said he had better understanding about the Pakistani expatriates abroad as he himself went to the United Kingdom at the age of 18, where he studied and used to play cricket as well. He recalled how Pakistani workers at that time were ridiculed and even discriminated racially by some white people, but they used to tolerate and continued to work hard until they succeeded in securing high socio-economic status for them in the Western world.

“Whenever I see overseas Pakistanis working hard abroad, I think that they are special ones, who always think and worry about Pakistan,” he remarked.

The prime minister also lauded the overseas Pakistanis for always supporting him in his fund-raising campaigns for Shaukat Khanam Hospital, Namal University and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

“You are the people, who work hard and send money to your country. Our country is now being run on your remittances. You are heroes of Pakistan. There are also some villains, who steal the money from the country and launder abroad. My war is against those people,” he stressed.

He said the Qatari businessmen, who met him during the visit, expressed their keenness to invest in Pakistan and also told him they were earlier shying away from investment due to corruption and heavy taxation in Pakistan. “The present government had scaled down the number of taxes from 36 to 16 only and would further rationalise the tax regime,” he added.

About corruption, he said his was the first government that during its first five months no corruption scandal had emerged and he was confident that none would emerge during the rest of its tenure.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan held one-on-one meeting with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani here at Diwan-e-Amiri and discussed bilateral relations as well as trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Qatar.

Delegation level talks were also held between the prime minister and emir of Qatar. All issues of bilateral nature especially the strengthening of economic and trade relations between the two countries were discussed during the one-on-on and delegation level talks.

The emir of Qatar hosted a lunch for the prime minister and the members of the delegation.

Earlier, an official welcome ceremony in the honour of Imran Khan was held at Diwan-e-Amiri. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received the prime minister at Diwan-e-Amiri.

Meanwhile, representatives of Sikh community in Qatar called on Imran Khan and thanked him for the ground-breaking of Kartarpur corridor which was the longstanding desire of the Sikh community globally.

They said the prime minister by laying the foundation stone of Kartarpur corridor had won the hearts of Sikh community from across the globe.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan condemned the terrorist attack in Afghanistan’s Maidan Wardak province and conveyed his condolences to the people of Afghanistan over loss of lives.

On his Twitter account, the prime minister said “My condolences go to the people of Afghanistan at the great loss of life, suffered in the condemnable act of terror in Maidan Wardak province on Monday.” He also prayed for the early return of peace to the war-ravaged neighbouring country.