ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday hinted that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), which are coalition partners in the incumbent government, could contest the next polls as allies.
Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony of the Hyderabad University at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the prime minister said the PTI and MQM-P have similar ideologies. "I always used to think that MQM's viewpoint, the things that they spoke of, were closely aligned with that of PTI. Our only problem was that of militancy, which we both thought was wrong," he added.
His remarks came after he paid a special tribute to Information Technology and Telecommunication Minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Dr Farogh Naseem, the two MQM-P leaders.
"When our government was formed, these two ministers joined our cabinet. We were afraid of what might happen since I did not know much about them. But today I will say this: there aren't any cabinet members more refined and decent than these two," the prime minister said. He said the dispensation of justice and provision of education are the two pillars of the idea of Naya Pakistan.
The prime minister said government believes in investing in the human capital of the country to ensure durable progress. He said education provides real security to a country and the nation. He said no society can progress without imparting quality education. He said a skilled and educated youth can play a pivotal role in uplifting a country and elimination of poverty. He said higher education is a pivot for progress and development and the Hyderabad University will be developed on technical and scientific grounds. He assured full support of the federal government in the establishment and development of the Hyderabad University.
Imran Khan also said that the Al-Qadir University is being established in the private sector at Sohawa in Jhelum, where science and Sufism will be taught to promote tolerance and present the true picture of Islam. Laying emphasis on the importance of higher education and the asset that the nation has by way of its youth, the prime minister said: "Where we stand now, we should understand that of this 210-million-strong country, 60 percent of the people are below the age of 30.
"If we educate the youth they will be the ones to take the nation forward. And it is this same section of the society that will bring us down if left uneducated. When you will not teach the youth skills and equip them, when they won't have an education and will remain unemployed, they will become a problem for the country," the prime minister stressed. He expressed disbelief over some quarters opposing the building of universities.
"I have never been able to understand the theory behind such thinking," he said in exasperation. "Who can oppose the creation of a university? What kind of a mind can rationalise that a university should not be created? It is beyond me," he said.
The PM announced that the Hyderabad University will be a technical university which will enjoy the expertise offered by the Namal University in Mianwali. He criticised a "strange phenomenon" that had taken root in Musharraf's era, namely the concept of "enlightened moderation which doesn't even hold any purpose". He said that ever since this idea had taken hold in the society, there was an uptake in the "emphasis on the English language which had harmed the psyche of the youth and driven those who are not familiar with the language to feel an inferiority complex".
"Take the example of parliament," the premier said. "Bilawal Bhutto is found addressing it in English. You do nothing but denigrate your own fellow citizens this way. Ninety per cent of Pakistanis do not know the English language and we know this fact. Then how do we continue to speak in English on public forums. He thinks he would look like educated this way," the PM said.
He strongly urged the audience to discourage this "wrong tradition". Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood said the Higher Education Commission has forwarded a project costing Rs2 billion for the establishment of Hyderabad University, which will be approved. He said that soon land will also be acquired for the University.
Shafqat Mehmood said curriculum will be upgraded to the requirements of the present times. He said special focus is being made on quality and standard setting in the domain of higher education.
Minister for Information Technology Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui thanked the prime minister for fulfilling the longstanding demand of the people of Hyderabad. He said the university will play its due role in equipping the youth of the area with modern knowledge, which will become the foundation of a prosperous Pakistan.
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said establishment of the Hyderabad University was the common desire of both PTI and the MQM. Prime Minister Imran Khan will also perform ground-breaking ceremony of two major housing projects in Islamabad and Quetta within the next few days.
The decision was taken during a meeting held to review progress on housing projects being constructed under the Naya Pakistan Housing Project, which includes building 30,000 apartments near Chaklala on the Capital Development Authority (CDA) land.
The prime minister was informed that under the programme, 110,000 units would be constructed in two cities of Balochistan i.e. Quetta and Gwadar, while 19,000 apartments would be built in four different projects located at various places of the federal capital in the first phase.
Secretary Housing Dr Imran Zeb Khan, while giving an update, said that draft legislations for establishment of Naya Pakistan Housing Authority, foreclosure laws and housing specific loans recovery procedures had been forwarded to the Cabinet Committee for Legislative Cases for its consideration. The meeting was informed that all codal formalities for establishment of the Naya Pakistan Housing Company would be completed during this week.
Giving details of various housing projects being undertaken in the first phase of Naya Pakistan Housing Program (NPHP), the secretary housing informed the prime minister that the Housing Ministry will be signing an MoU with the Government of Balochistan for various housing projects at Quetta (5,000 apartments in Wahdat Colony), Gwadar (55,000 apartments) Fisher Colony (54,000 apartments) and other places of the province. In AJK, 3,000 units would be constructed whereas 19,000 units would be built in Islamabad in the first phase. Another project on the prime land of G-13/14 sector with a potential of 6,000 apartments was also being vigorously pursued.
The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the steady progress being made in the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme and the huge interest being evinced by the international investors. The PM said that the NPHP, besides bridging demand and supply gap in the housing sector, will also act as a stimulus for the overall growth of economy.
