Nation to witness prosperity, development in 2020: PM Imran Khan says mafia sitting in newspapers

PIND DADAN KHAN: Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said there was a mafia in the newspaper industry that was writing against the government on a daily basis, as it had closed the door to their corruption.

"Some people [political opponents] fear that if this government succeeds, they will go to jail," he said while addressing a public rally here at the ground-breaking of Jalalpur Canal. "Some journalists who made money and derived other benefits from the old system are also against our government," he said.

Terming the corrupt mafia the biggest impediment to the country’s progress, Imran said the year 2020 would prove to be tough on the plunderers of the national exchequer.

“Pakistan is set to witness an era of prosperity and development in 2020, while the corrupt should be ready for a difficult time ahead,” the prime minister said.

He said no country could make progress unless corruption, which was highly detrimental to institutions as it involved money ought to be spent on education and health of the common man, was eliminated.

He mentioned that during the last 10 years, the corrupt politicians played havoc with the public money leading to currency devaluation and inflation. “We have no personal enmity with the corrupt mafia, who get united whenever caught. The bigger the dacoit, the more the hue and cry,” he said.

“Some corrupt people in the FBR and other government departments also make propaganda that the country is going to be destroyed.”

The prime minister asked the nation to support him in his fight against corruption and collectively defeat the mafia involved in looting the national exchequer.

He gave reference of the accountability systems of China and the United States of America for not sparing the corrupt.

Imran Khan said the government at its inception faced a difficult economic situation in shape of three times trade deficit, currency devaluation and high import price of petroleum, gas and edible oil.

However, the country at present had gained economic stability with the rupee getting stronger, and the exports, investments and remittances increasing.

The year 2020 would also be a year of job opportunities for Pakistanis, he told the gathering to a big applause.

“I always tell my nation to have faith. With the Grace of Almighty Allah, we have started coming out of the crises,” he said.

He mentioned that Pakistan was blessed to have fertile land, and gold and copper reserves; however, he regretted that such potential could not be exploited due to apathy of rulers in the past.

About the 114-kilometre Jalalpur Canal to be built with a cost of Rs32.7 billion, he said it would facilitate some 400,000 people residing in 80 villages of Jhelum and Khushab districts by bringing 172,000 acres cultivable land under irrigation.

Imran said he was aware of the difficulties faced by the people of area, including unavailability of drinking water, and lauded Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for finalizing the project pending for the last 20 years.

Buzdar said the project, which would complete in five years, would have 20 water storage ponds, 30 distributaries and 17 drinking outlets.

He expressed confidence that the canal would facilitate the people of adjoining areas with more opportunities for land cultivation.