Striking defiant note, PM vows to fight corrupt leaders

Imran launches National Health Card Programme in Faisalabad Division

FAISALABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday ‘dacoit leaders’ of the opposition parties, who had looted the national exchequer during their tenures in the government, had ganged up in the fear of getting sentenced for their cases of corruption.

Addressing the launching ceremony of the National Health Card Programme in the Faisalabad Division, Prime Minister Imran stressed that his undeterred stance against corruption had put the opposition in a haste to save the corrupt mafia.

“The opposition leaders, who had earlier boasted to ‘tear up each other’s bellies to recover the looted money, have now joined hands before any verdict is announced in their pending corruption cases,” the prime minister told the ceremony.

He mentioned that former president Asif Zardari had emerged on the scene with a “cheque book to buy loyalties of other parties”, adding that the country could not prosper until the weak and the powerful were both treated equally before the law.

“This is a loud and clear message to all corrupt leaders that I will continue to fight against them,” the prime minister declared. “I joined politics 25 years ago to wage a war against corrupt people and to ensure rule of law in the country.”

Stressing that the foundation of prosperity and development of a nation was closely linked to the rule of law, Imran said that the previous rulers used to visit abroad “even for the treatment of their cough”, but they showed indifference to improving the local health system.

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Referring to the criticism of the government’s National Health Card scheme by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Imran said that his party [PPP] in its tenure remained incapable of bringing any development in Sindh.

“He [Bilawal Bhutto Zardari] now says that they will spend on hospitals rather than the health cards. But, who stopped him during [his party’s] rule of more than 13 years from taking such steps to facilitate of common man,” he questioned.

The prime minister said that such corrupt leaders looted money from the national exchequer and transferred it into the accounts of other persons to hide their crime. “The National Health Card Programme is in line with the vision of Islam’s first socio-welfare State of Medina.”

Imran emphasised that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s health initiative was taken to accommodate the people in view of the expensive medical treatment that put an immense burden on the downtrodden masses.

Speaking about his recent visit to China, the prime minister said that progress on industrialisation was the focus of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He expressed confidence that it would boost trade activity in the country.

He lauded Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid and their team for launching the scheme in Faisalabad. On the occasion, he also handed over the National Health Cards to the residents of Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh and Chiniot districts.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Buzdar said around 1.5 million people of the Faisalabad Division would benefit from the scheme. After its launch in Faisalabad Division, the chief minister added, about 73% of the households in Punjab would be able to avail the facility.

State Minister for Information Farrukh Habib said that the National Health Card was a revolutionary programme, providing free medical treatment facility of up to Rs1 million per family annually at selected public and private hospitals.