Powerful doesn’t want accountability: PM

JALOZAI:

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the powerful do not want the rule of law to prevail and resort to forming Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-type alliances in order to escape accountability and justice.

“The society, which does not look after the weaker segments, never progresses. The condition of the weaker segments in a society shows its true worth,” the premier said on Wednesday while addressing the foundation-stone laying ceremony of a low cost housing scheme in Jalozai area of Nowshera.

The premier regretted that people are still unable to understand the importance of the rule of law.

“The rule of law means implementing the law on the powerful. However, when any such attempt is made, the powerful forms PDM-style alliance to shirk accountability,” he added.

The PDM was an eleven-party opposition alliance formed in September 2020 with the professed aim to dislodge the PTI led federal government. However, the alliance is now in shambles after the exit of two of its constituent parties in the wake of the Senate election.

Imran Khan said one of the distinguishing features of a good society is the rule of law. “People don’t suffer from poverty due to lack of resources. It is injustice that fosters poverty,” he added.

The PM said banana republics have separate sets of law for the powerful and the week. “There must be the same law for both the weak and the powerful,” he added.

Imran Khan said the sugar mafia sells the commodity at inflated prices and evades taxes but when the government takes action against it starts it is a set of special people who are above the law.

The government started a crackdown against a sugar mafia on the basis of an inquiry commission’s report. However, a group of about 40 lawmakers of the ruling party have now rallied around PTI former leader Jahangir Tareen, who is also facing legal cases on account of his alleged role in a sugar crisis.

Read No progress without accountability: PM

Imran Khan termed the provision of shelter to the common man as a basic responsibility of the state and said the government's low-cost housing projects will particularly benefit the weaker segments of the society. 

He said the project is aimed at providing shelter to the underprivileged particularly the working class and laborers. “The government will provide a Rs300,000 subsidy on each house while the buyer will pay easy mortgage installments to get the ownership rights.”          

He said due to the government's efforts, a long-delayed foreclosure law was settled that resulted in an agreement with banks on mortgage financing, “which is the key factor in materialization of the project”.

The premier urged the banks to further streamline their loan disbursement procedure including training of the staff to facilitate the aspirants. “The Jalozai apartments to be built on 9,800 kanal will be given to the registered persons through balloting.”

He said his government has enrolled people for low-cost housing units after conducting a proper survey. The prime minister lauded the efforts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan for replicating the low-cost housing scheme launched earlier by the federal government.   

“The K-P has become the first province of the country, providing health insurance facilities of up to Rs1 million to every citizen.  The government will provide land to hospitals at cheaper rates to encourage them to expand scope of medical treatment to a larger population.”              

Talking about his shelter homes and mobile soup kitchens initiatives, he said the programmes are in line with his vision of a welfare state on the model of the first Islamic state of Madina.

Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated the Jalozai Housing Scheme for low-income people under the Naya Pakistan Housing Project. The mega housing project will comprise 1,320 housing units worth Rs2.5 million each to be allotted to those having below than Rs40,000 monthly income.

The project is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to provide low-cost housing to poor people and low income groups, who find it hard to construct their own houses with meager financial resources and spend their hard earned money in paying rents.