Imran woos Karachi voters with 10-point plan

Says direct mayoral election, clean water, law and order and business revival among top priorities

KARACHI: [fbvideo link="https://www.facebook.com/etribune/videos/2321954677821545/"][/fbvideo]

10-point agenda

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has alleged that Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari are like Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq who plundered public wealth and ruined national institutions.

“PTI will revive Karachi’s old glory and again turn it into the city of lights,” said Khan on Saturday as he presented his party’s 10-point election agenda at a large public gathering in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal neighbourhood.

He said that direct mayoral election and empowerment of local bodies, clean water and proper sanitation, quality education, basic heath, law and order, business revival, uninterrupted power supply, livelihoods for citizens, pollution-free environment and proper transport will be among his top priorities.



Welcomed with loud chants of Tabdeeli i.e. change, Khan first talked about providing clean water without patronising land mafia, and elimination corruption at all levels.

He stressed on the need for appointing competent officials for redressing a host of issues.

“If the PTI comes to power, we will change the entire administrative system by holding direct election to the post of mayor,” he said, calling for an independent local bodies system.

The post of mayor, he said, would be given to someone with extensive experience of administration.  The mayor, he added, would be empowered to finalise his cabinet.

“Unfortunately, the incumbent mayor of Karachi is toothless which is illegal,” he said.

Khan said all provinces should learn a thing or two from the local government system in place in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.



On education, he said government schools were in poor shape in Sindh in general and Karachi in particular. He said his party would reform the education system in the province.

“More than 70 per cent students are enrolled in private schools. Even poor are compelled to send their children to private schools. We will upgrade public schools on a par with private schools,” he promised, adding that the PTI would also work for establishing more universities and higher education institutions of international repute.

Referring to the deteriorating conditions of government-run hospitals, the PTI chairman said that government hospitals would be built on the pattern of Shaukat Khanam Memorial Hospital.

About improving the law and order situation, he said that police in Sindh were highly politicized, and corrupt officials such as Rao Anwar were free to kill innocent people.

“PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari appreciated Rao Anwar who has killed 440 people in staged encounters,” he said.

Responding to Bilawal Bhutto’s speech, he said: “I want to ask Baby Bilawal why he does not inquire his father about the 440 innocent people killed by Rao Anwar.”

He said PPP MNA Faryal Talpur was the competent authority in the province to appoint police officers.

“They are trying to remove honest IGs to appoint their own people in police department,” he said, adding that after coming to power, the PTI would appoint right people in right places.

“Can anyone cite even one extrajudicial murder in K-P?” he asked.

The PTI would empower police, allowing it to work without Rangers in the city, he said.

Promising a business-friendly environment, Khan said it was necessary to establish more industries to create more jobs in the city.

Resolving energy crisis was one of the PTI’s top priorities, he said, adding that if elected to power, his party would make efforts to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity in the city.

“K-Electric has made people’s lives miserable. We want to reform energy sector too,” he said.

Khan said he would focus on uplifting the youth, adding that more skills development centers would be set up, allowing more youth to find appropriate jobs.

“We want to create cricket superstars from this city by setting up more playgrounds,” he said.

The PTI chief also vowed to give a separate urban railways system to Karachi to resolve transport issues.



Political talk

Criticising Sharif over his interview with Indian media, Khan said: “Nawaz [Sharif] is speaking in Modi’s language,” he said, adding that the former PM said Pakistanis were involved in the [2008] Mumbai attacks.

According to him, Zardari and Nawaz are both disloyal to Pakistan and hatching conspiracies against the army.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi also spoke on this occasion.