Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said he cannot give a guarantee about anyone’s life as life and death are in Allah Almighty’s hands while the humans can only try.
“I have read a news that the court has asked the federal and provincial governments whether they can guarantee Nawaz Sharif’s life. I cannot even guarantee my life by tomorrow, so how can I give a guarantee for someone else’s life?” the prime minister said referring to the Islamabad High Court proceedings last week in which the bench had asked government representatives to ‘take responsibility’ for incarcerated former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s life.
Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony of Baba Guru Nanak University in Nanka Sahib, the prime minister said federal and provincial governments are providing Nawaz Sharif the best possible medical care, including advice of consultants from Karachi and Shaukat Khanum Hospital. “We can try our best, the rest is with Allah Almighty,” he said, in response to criticism by certain political quarters on Nawaz Sharif’s deteriorating health.
The prime minister said Azadi March has no genuine objective but is being held to cover the wrongdoings of top corrupt whose tenures in government were all about ‘looting and signing charter of democracy’. “Mark my words, whatever united effort they make through the march, I will not give them NRO (deal) till my last breath,” he said. “It is like my prediction which came true when I had stated on assumption of my office that all corrupt people in the country will ultimately get united at a single platform against me,” he said. “The march is taking place not because the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is failing, but in fact it is succeeding,” he said, commenting on the call of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl for a countrywide protest demanding resignation of the government. “Such are the weak grounds for demand of resignation as the government on the other hand is making strides on economic front, even endorsed by Asian Development Bank and International Monetary Fund,” he added.
The prime minister mentioned that as per the recent World Bank report, Pakistan attained top position in sub-continent and sixth in the world in ease of doing business. Comparing statistics with the first year of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan People’s Party tenures, he said the PTI government has recorded inflation at the lowest ebb. He regretted that the country’s debt touched Rs 30,000 billion from Rs 6,000 billion due to money laundering by public office-holders through Iqama (resident permit) of foreign countries. “Now as noose tightens around their neck, they have started using the tactics of blackmail and pressure,” he said.
The prime minister expressed confidence that the country will make headway as the PTI government has put it on right track, and also mentioned expansion in tax net after traders agreed to pay fixed-rate tax.
Imran Khan said abolishing socio-economic class system in the country is one of the pillars of the State of Madinah which ensures that elite offender meet the same fate as the poor ones. “All are equal before the law and we want the privileged class in the country to also be answerable before the same law,” he said.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that ground-breaking for the construction of an international-level university in Nankana Sahib on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak is a symbolic step. He said history shows that no country or society can progress without giving priority to education. He said besides the Sikh community from across the world, the local population will also benefit from the Guru Nanak University.
He directed Punjab chief minister to utilize all the Auqaf lands at various shrines like Baba Farid Shakar Ganj in Pakpattan for the construction of universities, educational institutes and hospitals for the benefit of the local populace.
The prime minister said the government has decided to bring Madaris (religious seminaries0 into mainstream education system through uniformity in education and eliminating different education systems. He said that Madaris have very important role in history of the subcontinent, adding that in early 19th century, Sikh, Hindu, Muslims and other elite would get education from two big Madaris of Delhi despite the presence of British schools.
