Imran says has learnt a lot from life of Holy Prophet (SAW)

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said faith has transformed him and he has learnt a lot from the life of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). He said Almighty Allah rests responsibility on human beings. He said the Holy Prophet (PBUH) also endured many difficulties during his life and he emerged successful.

The prime minister reiterated that his PTI-led government would steer out the country from longstanding difficulties and would put the country on the development path by taking bold measures according to the model of State of Madina.

Imran Khan, who is also founder Chairman of the PTI, was addressing the party workers at the Jinnah Convention Centre on the occasion of 23rd foundation day of the party. The gathering was also addressed by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and attended by Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, KP Governor Shah Farman and Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, but former federal ministers and stalwarts of the party, Asad Umar, Aamir Kayani, Fawad Chaudhry and Jehangir Tareen were conspicuous with their absence in the significant party congregation.

Imran Khan maintained that poverty alleviation programme Ehsas and Naya Pakistan Housing Project will provide relief to the underprivileged. He asked his party workers to get ready for the upcoming local bodies polls to grab the authority for serving the people. He claimed that although he had nothing to gain from politics, he did political struggle for 23 years to fulfil his responsibility towards the people of the country. He said that it's been 23 years since the PTI was founded and it needed to be understood what this struggle was about.

“Struggle is never a straight journey, there are highs and lows. People get disheartened and leave you, and some come back. I had nothing to gain from politics. I had everything a person can have: wealth, fame, respect. I could have spent my life just by commenting on cricket," he reminded his party workers and leaders.

Imran Khan recalled that a man of faith knows he has to answer to Almighty Allah. “The more you receive from Allah, the more responsibility you have towards society. This country was progressing so quickly when I was growing up. Our leaders were respected by the world. But then this respect began to fade because those in power, instead of thinking about the country, started caring about their own interest. When a man steals, he harms one man. When a leader steals, he harms the entire country," Imran Khan said.

Citing the success stories of Malaysia and Singapore, he emphasised the importance of implementing the principles of the State of Madina in Pakistan. "The governance structure of Madina is the system of a modern state. That became the foundation due to which Muslims ruled foIMF briefed on tax amnesty, privatisation, power, gas tariffs said the premier adding that Pakistan was the only country that was built in the name of Islam and the purpose was to establish a welfare state.

“But we strayed from that vision," he lamented. Recounting his political struggle, Imran Khan said that the PTI was initially written off after some of its members got disheartened and left the party.

“People made fun of us, called PTI is a 'tonga (cart) party'. Your party (PTI) is the only party that has struggled. It was not supported by a General, or inherited through a will. When you work for society, it doesn't matter how long you have to struggle,” he said, Adding: "Struggle impart you training. You don't get scared of resistance because resistance makes you stronger."

The PTI was formed by Imran Khan in Lahore on April 25, 1996. A video compilation recapping the prime minister's political career was shown at the start of the ceremony. It was followed by a performance by Punjabi folk legend Attaullah Esakhelvi, who has lent his vocals to a PTI anthem. Sindh Governor Imran Ismail also sang a PTI song.

Highlighting the potential of Pakistan in tourism, the prime minister said the country will soon become tourism hub and people from across the globe will come to see unmatched beauty of Pakistan.

“We will try to bring our own people from abroad to visit the picturesque areas of the country,” he said. Stressing on government's priority to health sector, he said Sehat Insaf Cards will enable the poor to have their treatment in government and private hospitals free of cost.

Imran Khan admitted that people are troubled by price hike, but added that price hike in first eight months of the PTI government is less than that of previous governments of the PPP and PML-N.

He said a private university is being established in Sohawa in Jhelum district where scholars will research on the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He said he will lay the foundation stone of the university on Sunday. Referring to his journey in politics, he said he joined politics 23 years ago to serve the nation. The Prime Minister said country's debt has jumped to thirty thousand billion rupees from six thousand billion rupees during the last 10 years. Imran asked his political workers to be ready as the corrupt had united in the name of democracy and wanted to topple PTI government to conceal the looted money and escape from accountability process.

Reiterating his resolve against the corrupt, Imran Khan said the purpose behind hue and cry in the assembly was to get an NRO. He said when the PTI came into power, there was a budget deficit of Rs1,300 billion, the gas sector was facing loss of Rs150 billion, while circular debt was Rs1,200 billion in 2018.

Imran Khan said the courts gave relief to the Sharif family on technical basis. He said those who converted one factory into 30 factories could not build a hospital in the country which could provide treatment to them. He said the whole Sharif family is abroad on the pretext of medical treatment and now Nawaz Sharif also wants to go abroad.

The premier said the debt of the country will increase further if petroleum prices were not increased. He said the time of reforms will be tough after which improvement will be witnessed.

Imran Khan also appealed his party people to offer two nawafil on reaching home from the event, as in next two weeks it would be established in the wake of drilling as to how much gas reserves were there in the deep sea.

“It is my belief that there will be enough gas to meet our requirements for 50 years,” he said. In the Naya Pakistan, he emphasised, there would be one law both for the rich and the poor, whereas the former rulers wanted preferential treatment.

The prime minister had to repeatedly ask his party workers to keep quiet, as after becoming prime minister, it was not easy for him to address them, having been so much busy at the Prime Minister Office.

He mentioned that Quaid-i-Azam, who was a top lawyer and was wealthy as well, struggled for 40 years, and had he not been around, Pakistan might not have been on the world map. The other one, he said, was Nelson Mandela, who faced jail for 27 years for his people but never compromised on his principles.

He said when those, who rule, began thinking of their own interests only, then the country and the entire system would be ruined. He continued that a ruler could lift a country and eliminate corruption and cited the example of Mahathir Muhammad, who lifted Malaysia and when a corrupt person became its ruler, the country suffered and then again voters elected Mahathir at the age of 93 as prime minister for he was an honest person.

He advised the PTI youth to study and do research on the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in his address at the event congratulated Imran Khan and the party's founding members and workers who he said "took Imran Khan's message to every village and remote area".

Taking a jibe at the PTI's political rivals, he said: "Opposition parties ask 'is this the Naya Pakistan?' I ask them that you ruined Pakistan for 40 years and you expect Imran Khan to fix it in eight months?" Qureshi said the PTI voter is "very intelligent".