Sweeping reforms
2017-07-31
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, in his first public meeting on Sunday after the ouster of Nawaz Sharif, promised wide-ranging reforms if he came to power.
In a speech which had all the rhetoric of an election campaign, Mr Khan told the jubilant gathering at Parade Ground that he had resolved to improve health, education and judicial systems, besides introducing a tax culture which would eliminate poverty.
In his about an hour-long speech, Mr Khan showered praise on the judges of the Supreme Court and members of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for giving a `landmark` decision in the Panama Papers case.
`In new Pakistan, we will introduce reforms after which you will find no poor man in the country, which will make people happy and no one will receive Zakat, he said. `We will send money to other countries.
This is a big dream. We will help poor countries and send teams of doctors and social workers there. This is our destination where we have to go.
Mr Khan announced that if any of his claims about his money trail proved wrong in the Supreme Court, hewould relinquish leadership of his party.
The PTI chairman said he had decided to file a petition against incumbent Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in the Supreme Court for reopening of Hudaibya Paper Mills case. `Shahbaz Sharif! Dr Yasmeen Rashid will defeat you in the byelections,` he said in a reference to the PML-N plan to get the junior Sharif elected from NA-120 to enable him to become prime minister.
`I can see new Pakistan and want to congratulate you that you have won the match for new Pakistan, Mr Khan said while addressing the audience.
In new Pakistan everyone would be equal and there would be no difference between the poor and the rich, he said. `You haveseen how Nawaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar appeared before the JIT.
In new Pakistan, the National Accountability Bureau would not spare any corrupt (person) and law breaker irrespective of their position and status, he said.
He said the country could not afford big state-run palaces like Governor House and Prime Minister House on which millions of rupees were spent in a day `First of all Lahore Governor House will be turned into a public place like a museum or a park. Similarly other governor houses will be changed into public places,` he said.
The PTI leader said it was his promise that he would notlet the country and nation bow down before any one.
`Today I want to say thank you for coming to Parade Ground. I am happy to see a nation which can understand Pakistan`s problems, particularly women workers who want to see Pakistan as a great country,` he said. `When a nation`s women stand up, no one can stop their country from moving forward.
He said he wanted to pay tribute to the five judges of the Supreme Court and the JIT members who had given a landmark verdict against `mafia`. `We know you were under tremendous pressure.
Mr Khan said many senior journalists and politicians had told him that he had made a wrong decision of approaching the Supreme Court over the Panama Papers leaks.
PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Imran Khan was not afraid of accountability and was ready to face all `politically motivated` cases against him.
`Imran Khan has placed his all transactions and money trail before the Supreme Court but you threatened the JIT,` he said while responding to a statement of PML-N leader Khwaja Saad Rafique, who had asked the PTI not to celebr ate as Imran Khan would also be disqualified.
PTI secretary general Jahangir Tarin said Shahbaz Sharif should first `pay for killing innocent people` in Model Town before thinking of becoming new prime minister of the country. He demanded that the JIT report on the Model Town killing be made public so that the real culprits could be arrested.
Awami Muslim League president Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that on the direction of Imran Khan, he was going to the Supreme Court on Monday (today) to file a reference against Shahbaz Sharif. `Both Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif will be jailed when the Hudaibya Paper Mills case will be reopened,` he said.