PM Imran unperturbed by opposition’s march

Imran says he won’t give NRO to opposition politicians; maintains he can’t guarantee anyone’s life

LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the ‘Azadi march’ has no genuine objective except to cover the wrongdoing of the corrupt whose tenures in government were all about ‘looting and signing the charter of democracy'.

“Mark my words, regardless of the united efforts they make through their march, I will not give them an NRO (deal) until my last breath," the prime minister said on Monday at the ground-breaking ceremony of Baba Guru Nanak University in Nankana Sahib.

The prime minister said he had stated upon assuming the prime minister’s office that all corrupt people in the country would ultimately unite on a single platform against him, a prediction which, he said, had come true.

“The march is taking place not because the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is failing but because it is succeeding," he said, referring to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) calls for a countrywide protest and the resignation of his government.

The prime minister described the grounds for the demand of his resignation as weak, saying his government was making strides on the economic front endorsed even by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He also mentioned that, as per the recent World Bank report, Pakistan has attained the top spot in the subcontinent and sixth place in the world in Ease of Doing Business Index.

Comparing his government’s first-year statistics with the first years of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) tenures, he said the PTI government had recorded the lowest levels of inflation.

Imran Khan regretted that the country's debt had now reached Rs30,000 billion from Rs6,000 billion due to money laundering carried out by public officeholders through ‘Aqama’ (resident permit) of foreign countries.



“Now, as the noose tightens around their necks, they have started using the tactics of blackmail and pressure," he said. The prime minister expressed confidence that the country would make headway as his PTI government, he said, had put it on the right track. He also mentioned expansion in the tax net after traders had agreed to pay a fixed-rate tax.

On the illness of jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, he said the federal and provincial governments were providing him the best possible medical care including advice of consultants from Karachi and Shaukat Khanum Hospital.

“We can only do our best. The rest is up to Allah Almighty," he said in response to criticism of the government by certain political quarters regarding Nawaz Sharif's deteriorating health.

“I cannot even guarantee my own life; how can I give an assurance regarding the life of any other person," he said in reference to a comment by a court that the government should guarantee the life of Nawaz Sharif until bail.

Imran Khan, however, said the abolition of the socio-economic class system was one of the pillars of the State of Madinah which ensured that elite offenders met the same fate as the poor.



He quoted a Hadith of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) who said that even if his own daughter were to steal, he would cut off her hand, adding that previous civilizations had been destroyed because they shielded the powerful and punished the weak.

“All are equal before the law and we want the country’s privileged class to also be answerable before the law," he said.

The prime minister also said countries which upheld the rule of law, like Switzerland, Singapore and Europe, experienced progress and development.

He also hailed as a symbolic step the ground-breaking for the construction of an international level university in Nankana Sahib on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak.

He said history showed that no country or society could progress without prioritizing education. “We used to be ahead of other nations in education, but it is unfortunate that previous governments did not emphasize education, causing us to fall behind," he added.

The prime minister further said that, besides the Sikh community from across the world, the local population would also benefit from Guru Nanak University, which would offer education in various disciplines including information technology, science and technology and other modern subjects.

He also directed the Punjab chief minister to utilize all “Auqaf" lands at various shrines like Baba Farid Shakar Ganj in Pakpattan for the construction of universities, educational institutions and hospitals for the benefit of the local populace.

The prime minister said all Sufi saints like Baba Farid, Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh, Mian Mir etc. had a single mission of serving humanity, and that was why people still loved them and visited their shrines.

“Allah Almighty bestows those with honour who serve human beings. People do not remember the rich but those who serve humanity", he remarked, and cited the example of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) for whom people were always ready to sacrifice their lives.

Despite criticism from opponents on the government’s opening of the Kartarpur Corridor at a time when India was unleashing atrocities on innocent people in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), the prime minister said Pakistan had to give way to them since it was the most sacred place for the Sikh community.

He said Saudi Arabia had never stopped anyone from visiting Muslim holy sites on the basis of political differences.

The prime minister said the government had decided to bring Madaris (religious seminaries} into the mainstream education system through uniformity in educational instruction.

He said Madaris had a very important role in the history of the subcontinent, adding that, in the early 19th century, Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and other elite used to get education at two big Madaris in Delhi despite the presence of British schools.

The prime minister said that, as the country could not progress without focusing on a knowledge-based economy, the present government would provide modern education to youth through educational institutions.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar announced that the government would spend Rs6 billion on the construction of the Baba Guru Nanak University, which would be completed in three phases.

He said establishment of the university would not only benefit local people but the Sikh community from across the globe. He highlighted that the provincial government had decided to establish eight universities and five institutes in the province in one year.

Classes have already started in some institutions while work is in progress at others, he said. He further highlighted that the University of North Punjab will be set up in Chakwal while the University of South Punjab will be established in Layyah district. He termed the establishment of Baba Guru Nanak University of vital importance and added that the Kartarpur Corridor accord had been signed and the historic corridor would also be inaugurated soon.

The credit for the historic achievement went to Prime Minister Imran Khan, he maintained.

The chief minister termed the promotion of education the priority agenda of the PTI government.

Similarly, the University of Mianwali, Thal University (Bhakkar), Kohisar University (Murree), Women University Rawalpindi and University of Taunsa will also be established by the government. He added that the Punjab University of Technology will be established in the Rasul area of Mandi Bahauddin along with the construction of the Mir Chakar Khan Rind University of Technology in DG Khan.

Punjab-Tianjin University of Technology and Punjab University of Technology will also be set up in Lahore and Rawalpindi respectively, he added. Usman Buzdar said that an information technology institute was also being established in Hafizabad. Work is in progress on 21 development projects worth seven billion rupees in Nankana Sahib and two land record centres will be completed by the end of this year.

The chief minister said that buildings of police lines and district jail will also be constructed in Nankana Sahib. 208 flats have been allotted, he said, to the homeless industrial workers in the labour colony of Warburton and the second phase of the colony will also be constructed.

Meanwhile, the construction of a centre of excellence in Nankana Sahib is about to be completed. The Sehat Insaf Card scheme has also been launched in Nankana Sahib to provide free medical facilities to thousands of deserving families, he added.

Usman Buzdar said that PTI wants socio-economic and political empowerment of the minority communities and Rs 70 crores had been allocated for their welfare in the current budget.

Minorities enjoy complete religious freedom in Pakistan, especially in Punjab, which was unrivalled in South Asia, concluded the chief minister.

Federal Interior Minister Brig (R) Ijaz Ahmad Shah, addressing the gathering on the occasion, said Imran Khan had done a lot of work for this region and people of Nankana Sahib had an immense amount of respect for him" said Ijaz Shah. "I would like to announce my offer to the prime minister to contest from Nankana in the elections", he added.

"I do not want to be a hurdle between the people and their leader. He rules the hearts here and I will feel honoured if I can give my constituency to him", the federal interior minister said during his address.

He highlighted how different governments had engaged in politics on the Baba Guru Nanak University over the past decade. "It is under your leadership that this dream has finally become a reality at the right time and in the right place i.e. the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak", Ijaz Shah elaborated.

To be constructed on 117 acres, Baba Guru Nanak University is to lay great emphasis on the disciplines of Punjabi and Khalsa. The university will also have a hostel for Sikhs and other visitors coming to Nankana from across the globe.

"We hope that we can attain international status for this university by making it one of a kind in all aspects", the interior minister added.

The project is going to be completed in another 3 years and is intended to be operational by 2022. "Under our prime minister's supervision, we will live to see this idea turn into reality", Ijaz Shah highlighted in his concluding remarks.

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood and Special Assistant to PM for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan were also present on the occasion.