ISLAMABAD: Admitting that inflation was high and salaries were on lower side, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday contended that the nation would have to show some patience until the income increases.
The premier said the politicians, who ruled this country and chose the path of corruption, were a symbol of warning for others now. Addressing the passing out parade at the Police Lines here, the prime minister noted that such politicians had two ways; the path of halal (legitimate) earning, but the path they chose had made them today a symbol of warning for others, having collected so much wealth that they had no idea how much exactly was it. It was for the first time that a prime minister graced the police passing out parade.
“Today, sometimes they go to hospitals, abroad and their children also have fled the country and they have to lie about their parents’ wealth to cover up corruption. This is the wrath of Allah,” he maintained.
The prime minister emphasised that he was a prime minister and not a monarch and had to ask his finance minister about such matters, while referring to the IG police, who had handed over certain requests to him in writing.
He admitted that the salaries of the Islamabad Police were less than the Punjab Police and he would talk to the finance minister about this. He pointed out that for the last over two years, the government was faced with a massive economic challenge and the biggest problem was of loans.
“Because of huge loans, expenditures have to be curtailed and this hurts. Expenditures of Prime Minister’s Office and Prime Minister House were cut down by 60-70 per cent and the federal government also slashed its expenditures worth Rs40 billion,” he noted.
The prime minister said that one major issue was cutting down expenditures and putting check on loans. However, after 17 years, the current account deficit had gone surplus. Likewise, he added that the second issue was of income and expenditures, and if loans instalments were not to be paid, the government had struck a balance in it as well. He claimed that these were two major achievements of the incumbent government in the last two years.
The premier contended that the nation would have to show some patience until the income increases, as the situation ahead was such that with improvement in governance, the country would rise, having been gifted with so many resources by Allah Almighty. “We will have enough money to increase salaries of the police across Pakistan as well as the government employees,” he said.
The prime minister was of the view that the nation could not develop unless the life and property of the citizens was not protected: the Army was the protector of the borders and the police of the citizens internally and he wanted the nation to own and like the police.
The overseas Pakistanis, he noted, were the biggest asset for Pakistan and their biggest problem was of insecurity, as when they brought money inside the country and purchased a plot or a house, it was occupied illegally and this eroded their trust in security. He asked how would they make investment and set up factory in the country unless given security and in this situation, the police had a very important role to play and only then the country would rise.
“I am a student of history and I know that there can be no progress and prosperity unless there is maintenance of law and order and security. The police has a prominent status in any society, but unfortunately, this was not so in Pakistan. He said the British used the police in this region to usurp people’s rights and forced them to do bad things but this was not so back in their own country and their attitude was altogether different there,” he said.
Imran Khan recalled that when the PTI formed government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2013, the police was the major victim of terrorism there and over 500 cops were martyred and their morale was down. He said then the police was transformed and it fought the terrorists bravely and a time came when residents of Peshawar and Mardan took out rallies in their support.
He said that the police would be issued health cards, which meant Rs1 million health insurance, enabling them and their families to get treated in any public or private hospital. He added that under the Naya Pakistan Housing Project, they would be the first to get houses on instalments in the shape of their house rent, besides the government employees.
The prime minister in a reminiscent mood said that when he was rising as a character, there was an apartheid/racist government in South Africa, which made lucrative offers to him also to play there but he did not, as going there would mean a racist regime. He also said that when he became captain of the national cricket, an Indian bookie made an offer to him to share info about the toss, which he also declined. “There are two paths; one of dignity and the other of Shaitaniyat (devil) and the first path is indeed not easy one. Those passing out today also have to make a choice between the two,” he said, and called upon the cops to be different in the Naya Pakistan.
The prime minister called on them to make the poor VIP and give respect to them and treat them differently. Meanwhile, Imran Khan termed overseas Pakistanis as a precious asset, and said his government accorded top priority to addressing their problems and facilitating them to invest in Pakistan and wanted their inclusion in the poll process.
The prime minister observed this during a meeting with Lord Amir Sarfraz, Member of the British Upper House, who called on him here. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari also attended the meeting.
The prime minister congratulated Lord Amir on being awarded the Lord's honour at an early age. Lord Amir is on the list of youngest lords. The meeting also discussed in detail the further strengthening of Pakistan-UK relations.
