PM to lead PTI’s mass contact drive to mobilise workers: Farrukh

Ruling party lawmakers wanted PM Imran to himself inform masses about govt’s performance, says state minister

ISLAMABAD:

 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had decided to launch a mass contact campaign to mobilise party workers at grassroots level.

The decision was taken in the PTI’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is also the chairman of the ruling party, he said while addressing a news conference in Islamabad.

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The minister said the prime minister would himself lead the mass contact campaign on the desire of PTI parliamentarians who wanted him to directly inform the masses about the PTI’s mega initiatives and priorities.

It was only the PTI which had held largest public meetings in the country, he said, adding the provincial presidents have been asked to arrange party conventions as it was their responsibility to mobilise workers at grassroots level.

According to the plan, he said PM Imran would address large public gatherings across the country.

On February 9, Farrukh added, the prime minister would be in Faisalabad to launch the ‘health card’ which would provide free medical treatment of up to one million to the masses.

The minister said the health card was already launched in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Also read: PM tells elected reps to work for PTI image boost

He said by March 31, the entire population of Punjab would be covered under the flagship ‘health card’ initiative for which an amount of Rs450 billion was allocated by the provincial government.

Divulging other details of the meeting, he said all the presidents of provincial chapters of PTI presented their reports on the party’s reorganisation. The party chairman had directed the provincial presidents to complete reorganisation of the party at district level by February 15, he added.

Farrukh said the party had notified its Permanent Parliamentary Board to look after matters pertaining to the upcoming local government elections in different provinces.

He said the CEC had praised and congratulated Prime Minister Imran Khan and his team for ‘highly successful’ visit to China.

The joint communique issued by both countries after the meeting between PM Imran Khan and Chinese President Xi Jinping reflected time-tested and strong relations between the two countries, he noted.

Lashing out at the critics of the visit, he said national interest should be given preference over personal interests.

He said those who propagated against the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPECP needed to know that the mega project was in full swing.

Also read: PM Imran told to step down over ECP report

Farrukh said that major work on the CPEC was completed during the present government. “You will soon see that the fruits of CPEC will benefit the common man,” he remarked.

He also commented on reconciliation between two major opposition parties – PPP and PML-N — saying they united once again to stop the government from retrieving the looted wealth stashed in the foreign countries.

“The ongoing accountability process will go unhindered as the opposition cannot blackmail the government,” he maintained.

Responding to a question, he said the oppositions’ conspiracies and nefarious designs posed no threat to the government. “We are not afraid of their resignations, no confidence motion and long marches,” he added.

He also accused PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and former president Asif Zardari of laundering money through telegraphic transfers and fake accounts.

“There is no comparison of other political parties with the PTI which is a symbol of federation,” he remarked.