PM says will fight till last ball

| Imran Khan gets 178 votes against required 172 | PM assures all assistance to judiciary, NAB to get corrupt elements punished | Advises ECP to get a briefing from intelligence agencies about recent Senate polls | Promises all support for uplift of poor | Opposition parties boycott session  

ISLAMABAD   -   Prime Minister Imran Khan, with the support of PTI’s coalition partners, yesterday got vote of confidence from the National Assembly by securing 178 votes.

The joint opposition, except one independent MNA Mohsin Dawar, as per its decision taken at the platform of Pakistan Democratic Movement [PDM] completely boycotted the house proceedings. 

“Prime Minister Imran had been elected as leader of the house with 178 votes,” announced the National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, after the vote count in the house. 

The allied partners including MQM-P, PML-Q, GDA, BAP, AML and JWT cast their votes in favour of Imran Khan. Independent candidate Aslam Bhotani also reposed confidence in the premier through his vote.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) MNA Maulana Akbar Chitrali from opposition benches, before the start of the proceedings, also remained in the house for ten minutes but he did not participate in the proceedings. 

The house, after the announcement of the vote count by the chair, echoed with loud sloganeering and desk thumping. The treasury lawmakers from backbenches, taking advantage of opposition’s absence, placed small placards inscribed with slogans ‘Vote Ko Izat Do’.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, after securing six votes more than the required vote [172], sought help from the entire society to join hands with him to fight against the menace created by the corrupt politicians to secure the future of next generations.

“If all the ruling lawmakers leave my party [PTI], I would fight alone against the corrupt practices,” said the Prime Minister, expressing his resolve that no one can stop Pakistan to make progress. With the aim to get punished the corrupt elements of the society, Khan assured all assistance to the NAB and judiciary in the corruption cases. He stressed the need for improving the moral standards of the nation.

About electoral reforms in the country, the Prime Minister said that the incumbent government has decided to bring electoral reforms to secure transparency in the election system. “We are fully engaged with overseas Pakistanis so that they can cast their votes, and for electoral reforms we are also bringing electronic machines,” he said.

The Premier, talking about the recent Senate polls, said it was in the knowledge of the government that money was being collected to buy candidates. 

“I am amazed over ECP, as it said ‘great election’ [Senate polls] was conducted…If this election was carried out well by you [ECP] then who knows what is a bad election,” he commented, over the press note of the ECP issued over his statement. He also advised the ECP to get a briefing from [intelligence] agencies on what was behind the scenes in the recent senate polls.

‘Nawaz and Zardari’

Mentioning the names of opposition leadership [Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif], he said that the former president had committed a glaring mistake by giving NRO to the leadership of PML-N and the PPP-P.

Both Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, he said, are making an effort to blackmail his government for an NRO. Using a phrase “Mr 10 per cent” for Asif Ali Zardari, he criticized their supporters on a slogan “one Zardari trumps all (Aik Zardari sab pe bhaari)”.

About former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he said, the former prime minister had created a drama of fake sickness to go abroad so that he could avoid the legal consequences of his corruption and theft.

“These people even tried to sabotage FATF legislation and had linked passing of the FATF legislation to amendments in the NAB law,” the PM said, adding that they had put the country at stake to get rid of corruption cases against them.

He also strongly criticised Yousaf Raza Gilani, who beat PTI’s Hafeez Shaikh in the recent Senate polls, as one of the most corrupt politicians in the country. “Just look at his [Gilani’s] wealth and assets before he became the PM and do a comparison with his assets after he became the PM. The picture will be clear,” Imran said.

‘Last ball’

Blaming the opposition parties for all ills of the country, he said in their decade of ‘darkness’ (government tenures), they had destroyed the institutions, piled a record current account deficit and budget deficit, and signed expensive power and gas contracts. 

“Even if I am left alone I will fight against these corrupt elements. I am a captain and I fought till the last ball and I will fight till the last ball.” Imran Khan recalled that the Pakistan Steel Mills was a profitable institution but during the government of Zardari it had incurred a loss of Rs 8 billion. He said the opposition leaders worked abroad and used their jobs to launder money.  

The prime minister said Pakistan was in the grey list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) during the regime of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. “When we were trying to bring the FATF related legislation, the opposition tried to get passed 34 amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAB),” he added.

Imran Khan said, “We should never forget as to why Pakistan was created. Making of Pakistan was a dream of Allama Iqbal, who had envisioned a welfare state.”

He said he had instructed that the secondary school students should be taught about the life of Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in the Riyasat-e- Madina.

The Holy Prophet (PBUH), he said, set a new path for the humanity with his character and high moral standards, and despite the limited military resources, Islam successfully spread in the world due to human and moral values espoused by it. The Holy Quran stressed on following the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he added. The prime minister said Islam built a great legacy and civilization, made great strides in the fields of science, reformed societies, and set new moral standards.

‘Economic growth through exports’

He said at present Pakistan had gained economic stability as the rupee was stable despite the coronavirus pandemic. “The problem is that half of the government’s revenue is being spent on paying off loans. Our next challenge is to increase economic growth through exports,” he said, adding the overseas Pakistanis had sent record foreign remittances.

Imran Khan assured that the government was focused on bringing investment as record number of companies had been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

However, he said, the expensive power agreements were a problem for the government. If electricity rates would be increased it would add to financial difficulties of the people and cause further price hikes, and if they were kept at the present rate it would hike the circular debt.

The government in its new agreement with the Independent Power Producers, he said, would save public money and stop the rise in circular debt.

‘Inflation a major issue’

The prime minister said inflation was a major issue and the reason for price hikes was the devaluing of rupee against the dollar which went up from Rs 107 to Rs 160. The government, however, was focused on bringing down prices and it signed a cheaper contract for gas to facilitate the citizens.

 “We are trying our best to lessen the burden of price hikes on the common man. We will initiate new programmes and give direct financial assistance to the poor people through the Ehsaas Programme.  We will introduce a programme to ensure that nobody in the country sleeps hungry. We have chosen areas for opening of kitchens to provide food to the poor people.”

Imran Khan said all citizens in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were given health insurance cards while the same would be given to the whole of Punjab by the end of current year. Every person would have an insurance of Rs 1 million to get medical treatment in any hospital. The government would provide all basic facilities to the citizens, he vowed.

The focus, he added, would also be on improving agriculture and conditions of farmers by launching of new schemes. Mega projects like the Ravi Urban Development Project and commercial district in Lahore, and Bundle islands in Sindh would generate economic activity, protect the environment and create wealth to pay off the debts.  Two mega Bhasha and Mohmand dams would be constructed with the aim to boost the economy, he added.

Imran Khan said with the help of China, the government would hike the agriculture yield, and utilize talent and potential of the young population by equipping them with technology and skills. He said electoral reforms and electronic voting machines would be introduced to ensure transparency in the elections and give overseas Pakistanis the right to vote. He appreciated the team led by Minister for Planning Asad Umar for effectively tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

‘I thank you’

Earlier, he thanked government lawmakers, including his allies, for supporting him in the vote of confidence. He lauded the way his party reacted after the Islamabad Senate seat upset, saying that this experience had made them tougher. “To my parliamentarians and team, I thank you. Yesterday evening when I saw you, I realised that you were really hurt when we lost the Senate election of Hafeez Shaikh….I felt good because I saw a team in you, ” he remarked.

About economic issues in the country, he said “the current account is improving constantly and now even the rupee is strengthening against the dollar without government intervention.” He said the biggest pressure he was facing was to tackle the issue of inflation, which he said was a natural result of the rupee devaluing.