Notion of Pakistan belonging to particular class is regrettable: PM Imran

Government focusing on equitable distribution of resources, says the premier

RAIWIND:

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said the notion of elite and the prevailing mindset that Pakistan only belonged to a particular class was regrettable.

The premier's remarks came during a launch ceremony of the Punjab peri-urban housing project for low-income groups in Raiwind.

"The government is focusing on equitable distribution of resources by ensuring basic amenities of life for all," PM Imran said. "No nation could prosper with an island of rich and a big sea of poor."

He further regretted that during the last 74 years, only a particular class of elite ruled the country.

"The elite-centric policies inflicted huge damage upon the poor whose access to civic facilities including health, education and jobs greatly suffered," he said and added that his vision was to make the powerful answerable to law and strengthen the weaker segments of society.

"Opposition wanted an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) to spare their corruption. However, such efforts would go in vain," he said. "The political elite in the past patronized illegal land grabbing that led to litigation and obstructed development work."

وزیر اعظم عمران خان نے دورۂ لاہور کے دوران پنجاب پیری اربن کم لاگت ہاؤسنگ اسکیم کے منصوبےکا آغاز کر دیا۔ #سستا_اور_اپنا_گھر pic.twitter.com/drWOdmOt79

— Prime Minister's Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) May 6, 2021

The prime minister further said that the PTI-led government had launched several affordable housing schemes for low-income groups and the construction industry was witnessing an economic boom in the country.

"As the construction sector was connected with 30 other industries, the step would help resolve the problems of accommodation and unemployment," he added.

He also said that the recently cleared foreclosure law of banks greatly helped in materialising the low-cost housing schemes.

"The ill-planning of infrastructure and encroachment in cities was leading to civic problems including poor sanitation, pollution and mushroom growth of slums," PM Imran stated. He added that a plan to equip slums with basic amenities was on the cards and vowed to give ownership rights to the slum-dwellers.
 

Read more: Low-cost housing projects in full swing

The prime minister, who also virtually inaugurated the work at nine other sites including Chiniot, Dera Ghazi Khan, Chunian, Khanewal, Khushab, Mandi Bahauddin, Mianwali, Jalalpur Pirwalla and Sargodha, said the project(s) would facilitate the common man.

Imran further lauded Frontier Works Organization (FWO) and the Punjab government for executing the work on low-cost housing in record time.

"Pakistan is blessed with areas having spectacular natural beauty. proper tourism strategy could earn the country huge revenues," the prime minister added.

PM Imran said that the current government was focused on bringing a revolution in the agriculture sector and mentioned that he was personally overseeing the area to facilitate farmers.

"During the last two years, the farmers were given an additional payment of Rs11 billion and the yields of wheat, rice and corn witnessed a record production," he added.

The premier further stated that Pakistan was also undergoing development in information technology with record exports of equipment in 11 years.

On Covid-19, the prime minister appealed to the masses to observe the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to curb the dangerous disease. He also stressed on the use of face masks as a crucial precaution.

“The next two weeks are very significant and our target is to bring down the coronavirus cases,” he said, adding that the situation in India was a lesson to learn from.