Ag APP
PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said corrupt mafia has again joined hands to protect their plunder and corruption but he would not give them NRO come what may.
He said some politicians from Punjab have fled to London to escape the grip of law, but they won’t be able to escape for long and they would be brought back soon, Geo News reported.
The premier was addressing the inauguration ceremony of the newly-constructed 2,056 residential flats and Labour Complex projects completed at the cost of Rs5.93 billion for industrial workers under PM's Naya Pakistan Housing Programme at Regi Lalma, Peshawar. He said the nation had knowledge of some corrupt elements that escaped to London in a bid to protect themselves after pilfering the money of the poor.
The prime minister said the developed countries had made robust progress due to supremacy of rule of law and investment for developing human resources.
He said Allah Almighty had bestowed unlimited blessings on people of Riyast-e-Madina because they strictly followed the Seerah of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). He said Pakistan could achieve remarkable success in every field of life by strictly adhering to the principles that formed the foundation of Riyast-e-Madina which brought positive revolution, leading to emergence of Muslims in the world. He said Pakistan had full potential to become a developed country by subjugating the corrupt elements.
The prime minister said the PTI government was striving for socio-economic empowerment of downtrodden and poor segments of the society and had launched the landmark Universal Sehat Insurance Programme to provide free medical services to people. He said KP was the first province that launched flagship project of health coverage programme under which its every resident, having CNIC could avail free treatment up to Rs1 million in any part of the country. He said the Sehat Card Plus Programme has brought about a revolution in the health sector in KP by benefiting a large number of people who could not afford expensive treatment.
Imran Khan said the Sehat Card Plus was an example to encourage private sector to establish quality hospitals in cities and villages besides bringing significant improvement in the healthcare system.
The PM referred to a recent published report of UNDP that pointed out significant decrease in poverty and gap between rich and poor besides enhanced development of human resources in KP after 2013, and said that it spoke of success of the PTI government's reforms and goal-oriented policies. As a result, the PTI had achieved two-third majority in KP during the last general elections that was unprecedented in the provincial history, he added.
Imran Khan said his government is not thinking of the next election, but for the future of the nation.
The prime minister said provision of low-cost housing facilities to poor segment of the society was among the top priorities of the government. He congratulated the KP government for completing the long awaited 2,506 residential flats for families of industrial workers and labour complex project at Regi Lalma. He said banks have been directed to provide loans for construction of houses to people on easy terms and conditions that would also bolster construction industry and provide poor, labourers and common man with chances to change their own destiny.
Imran Khan said he would direct Naya Pakistan Housing Authority to make partnership with KP government for utilisation of empty and unproductive lands in KP for construction of low-cost housing units for poor segment of the society. He said it has to be seen how the poor segment had been lifted during five years of his government.
The prime minister said he visited the under construction site of multifaceted Mohmand Dam on Wednesday to oversee the pace of work that would be completed by 2025.
The dam would irrigate 17,000 acres land in Peshawar; generate 800MW hydel electricity besides providing 300 million gallons water to Peshawar.
"This is a decade of dams in Pakistan where 10 new dams including gigantic Mohmand and Diamer-Bhasha dams would be completed by 2028," he said.
He regretted that despite having the large potential, no dams were constructed in Pakistan after the decade of 1960s or over the last 50 years. Contrary to China which had constructed 80,000 dams, including 5000 big dams, Pakistan had only two big dams, he added.
The prime minister said 10 dams, including Bhasha and Dasu, would be constructed under the vision of Clean and Green Pakistan and in view of the climate changes. He said with the growing population, the construction of dams and water reservoirs was a must to tackle the challenges of food security. Despite bumper wheat crop this year, the country would have to import the commodity to fulfil its demand, he remarked.
Imran Khan said that the construction of dams and water reservoirs was also important for meeting the demand of clean drinking water for major cities and urban centres like Lahore and Karachi.
