Wait a little while to see Pakistan empowered: Nations not made by selling cotton & yarn: Imran

MIANWALI/LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said a little patience can make Pakistan strong. The government will have to support the poor. All are equal before the law. It is no justice that the poor languish in jails and the rich go to London for treatment.

Addressing a ceremony to lay the foundation stone of different projects in Isa Khel and launch work of a Knowledge City at the Namal Institute here on Saturday, he said the guilty should be sentenced and there should be no injustice to the poor in police stations. His priority is to lift the poor out of poverty. Nations develop after spending money on education, not selling cotton and cloth. He said those who got their medical checkups in London cannot understand the difficulties faced by the people living in poor areas like Mianwali.

“How will those people whose children live in London and get their medical checkups there will understand the problems of people living in Mianwali,” he said.

While indirectly referring to PML-N’s focus on Lahore and a few other cities, the prime minister said the countries don’t prosper if all the money is spent on one or two cities. “We need to take everyone together.” “I understand the issues of the common man here that is why we have launched a Rs 3 billion scheme that will provide water to almost all the union councils in the area,” he said.

PM Imran said that most of the applications he used to get from the people were about water scarcity and registration of FIRs. “These are the basic necessities of people that should be fulfilled.”

The prime minister said that he appointed Chief Minister Usman Buzdar because he has a better idea of the problems of backward areas. He said the government is focusing on the provision of basic civic amenities to the people of these areas including health and education infrastructure. He said a new system has been evolved to ensure the presence of doctors in the hospitals of far-flung areas.

The premier said the government is keen to transform the police into such a dynamic force that protects the weak segments of the society. He directed the inspector general of police to ensure that the common man is treated fairly at police stations. He emphasised the need of knowledge economy, terming it imperative to put the country on the path to progress.

He was optimistic that Pakistan will emerge as a strong country in the comity of nations and the dream of Naya Pakistan will come true. He appreciated the support he got from the people of Isa Khel while he was nobody in politics.

The prime minister launched work on the first phase of the Knowledge City to be established at the Namal University. The first phase will complete by 2023 to accommodate 800 students and 50 faculty members. Major construction work on the city is expected to be completed by 2027. The knowledge city will include academic blocks, libraries, technology parks, business centres, dairy farms, primary and secondary schools, sports facilities, hospital, shopping centres, hotels, and housing colony for staff, faculty and students.

Meanwhile, the prime minister laid the foundation stone of a clean drinking water project that would cost Rs 3.2 billion. During his visit to Esa Khel, he administered polio drops to start the polio eradication campaign and planted a sapling.

According to a press release of the PM Office Media Wing, out of the allocation made for the supply of clean drinking water, the federal government would provide 80 per cent whereas the provincial contribution would be 20 per cent. With the completion of the project, 3.4 million gallon water on a daily basis would be supplied, facilitating a total of 87 villages and 151 settlements, consisting of 2.5 million population. Powered through solar energy, this project would have the water storage capacity for three months during the drought season.

During his visit, the prime minister was briefed about a Rs 19 billion development package for Mianwali including rehabilitation and expansion of roads, restoration of 46 water supply projects, reconstruction of Tehsil hospitals at Piplan and Kalabagh, 200-bed mother and child hospital, addition of 400 classrooms in the existing schools, reconstruction of 77 dilapidated school buildings and progress on Mianwali university project.

The prime minister stressed focusing on educational facilities for the female children and women. Later, he took an aerial review of the supply of the clean drinking water project for Esa Khel and the adjoining Tehsils.