Govt not to create hurdles for PDM’s leaders: PM Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD, Dec 05 (APP):Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday said that the government would not create hurdles in the way of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders, but warned that strict legal action would be taken against organizers and facilitators of public gatherings as they were endangering lives of people in the face of sharp spike in coronavirus cases and deaths.

He once again reiterated his stance of making all the plunderers of the national wealth to face accountability, and said that he would not give any ‘NRO’ to anyone at any cost.
During a detailed interview with (Hum News) a private Tv channel, he vehemently resolved that he could leave his office but would not give them NRO.

“Whenever they talked (in a reference to PML-N and PPP), they tried to blackmail the government over their corruption cases as happened during FATAF legislation in parliament,” he added.

“I can leave my office, but cannot think of committing any treason with the country,” he stressed.

The prime minister referring to the opposition demands said they wanted NRO on their graft cases and under such conditions how could the parliament work.

To a question, he said the PDM leaders were holding their next public gathering in Lahore where the Covid 19 cases were sharply rising, with dozens of deaths.

He said the government would not provide an opportunity to this ‘union of crooks’ to create political dramas and become ‘Joan of Arc or other revolutionaries’ but strict action would be taken against organizers who broke SOPs or laws. SOPs violations would not be allowed. The FIRs would be registered against sound system providers and suppliers of chairs, he added.

The prime minister said the government had decided against holding of public gatherings after rise in coronavirus cases.

“We had given clear SOPs. Ulema have been engaged whereas schools were also closed,” he maintained.

The prime minister while elaborating his point of view, further said that from day first day, the opposition wanted to blackmail the government by linking adoption of FATAF legislation with NRO.

They brought 34 changes in NAB’s law which amounted to burying of the anti-graft law, he added.

For the last, 30 years, these two parties (PML-N and PPP) remained in power and framed cases against each other, he said, adding general retired Pervez Musharraf gave them NRO. Swiss cases were dropped even after spending billions of rupees in prosecution of these graft cases, he added.

“The country’s debt surged from Rs 6000 billion in 2008 to whopping Rs 30,000 billion in ten years. Musharraf gave them NROs to save his office,” he added.

To a question, the prime minister said there should be no two different sets of law for the powerful and the common people.

About his cases in the Supreme Court, he said that he had submitted replies with all the required documents and money trail but on the the other hand, these corrupt rulers failed to even provide a single document to justify amassing of ill-gotten pelf.

About his vision of Naya Pakistan, the prime minister said that he wanted the country to stand on its feet as it was blessed with huge potentials and resources.

About uniform curriculum in the country, the prime minister credited Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mahmood for developing a consensus over the system.

Efforts were afoot to introduce the uniform education system in the country next year, he expressed the confidence.

About his cricket career and his stay in UK for studies, he said he personally witnessed different aspects of two different culture of UK and Pakistan which ultimately changed his views.

He regretted that under colonialism, superiority and inferiority complexes were handed over to the ruled nations.

Those western impacts had played vital role in his upbringing because he always used to review his life land his cricket life. “Evolution process started from my personal experiences in UK,” he added.

The prime minister to a query, said that he had witnessed breaking of family system in the United Kingdom whereas they had strong family system which ‘is our strength’.

He said the social security system in the West was based upon protection for poor with healthcare facilities, legal aid and unemployment benefits, but slowly and gradually, drugs and immorality disintegrated their social system.

The prime minister said the country had three different tiers of education including English medium Urdu medium and madrassah system. For introduction of uniform curriculum, efforts should have been made several years back.

He said the youth and children should be made aware of all aspects of Seerat of Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and in this regard, chapters were included in the next curriculum of 8th, 9th, and 10th classes.

The prime minister said that special research would also be conducted on the lives and teachings of Sufis in Al-Qadir University and NUML.

He further said history remembered those who had served humanity.
About the use of latest media tools, like cell phones, he said that young people had access to such contents which were causing negative impacts upon their immature minds and exposing them to huge psychological challenges.

The prime minister shared that during his meetings with IGs of all provinces and perusal of crime ratio, he was alarmed at the rate of rape and murder cases which were on the rise as large number of these cases had been unreported due to social taboos.

He said they were introducing new legislation to ensure strict punishment and stressed upon the society to play its due role in eradication of such crimes.

About Turkish drama serial Ertugrul, the prime minister said people watched the alternative if provided by media. Media could take morality up or down in a society with the contents it played, he opined.

The prime minister said different civilizations in the history collapsed when immorality made inroads into them.

About another query, he expressed his wonder as a number of journalists went to high court seeking its direction for Nawaz Sharif to deliver his speech.

The Supreme Court had handed down a verdict after a detailed JIT report and probe into his corruption cases and these people were petitioning before the court for a ‘freedom of speech’ he added.

Such things caused damage to the country, he observed and stressed that corruption could not end unless a society play its role.

He said Ishaq Dar had been absconding the country to evade trial in corruption cases. In UK, if anyone had been facing graft allegations, he or she could not face public or media.
He said in UK parliament, the legislators held debates over public issues, but here, the opposition had one interest ‘to get NRO over corruption’ instead holding debates on different issues being faced by the country.

To another question, the prime minister said for the first time, they had given huge development packages to Karachi, erstwhile tribal areas, Gilgit Baltistan and Balochistan.
He expressed the confidence that with cooperation of all stakeholders, they would implement Karachi package.

He stressed that mega cities should have a separate governance and self-sustaining systems.

The prime minister regretted that only 1.5 million people in the country were paying taxes. The fiscal deficit could be overcome if all people paid taxes, he added.

About 25 million persons had been detected who were either living in palatial houses or affording luxurious vehicles but they did not pay any taxes.

“If they pay their shares, different issues could be resolved. A nation builds a country,” he added.

The prime minister further said that the country had a huge gap between imports and exports.

These imbalances had been looming for the last forty years, he said.
The prime minister said for the first time, exports were on the rise and the current account deficit was under control.

These last two years were passed with difficulty but now the Industry, after the year 1960, was heading on the right direction, he said, adding in Sialkot now industry was fully functional as there was dearth of workers.

The prime minister said the country was blessed with huge potential, like tourism sector which could generate huge earning. The northern areas of the country were ‘Switzerland plus’.

When Malaysia could earn $20 billion in tourism, Pakistan could earn a lot. Efforts were afoot to double the country’s agriculture production, besides exploration of its natural resources, he said.

Under China Pakistan Economic Corridor, special economic zones were being established. Focus was made on IT potential parks with concessions offered by FBR and state bank, he added.