Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday told his party leaders to ‘expose’ PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman at every forum.
“Fazlur Rehman has acquired assets beyond means hence he must give an account for it and surrender before NAB,” the prime minister said as he chaired a meeting of party leaders and spokespersons, where participants opined that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Fazl had made efforts in the past to recognise Israel. “Expose Nawaz Sharif and Fazlur Rehman at every forum,” said the prime minister, a private TV channel reported.
The premier also directed his party leaders to bring before the public the opposition’s proposed amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Act. He lambasted that the opposition demanded the NRO in the form of an amendment and drafted 34 points for it. He said the opposition proposed that allegations of corruption of less than Rs 1 billion should not come under the NAB’s scope. He said they also wanted that anyone convicted in corruption cases should not be disqualified from holding public or party offices.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the government is committed to hold free, fair and transparent Senate elections. He slammed the opposition for adopting double standards over the Senate elections.
The prime minister directed the ministers to improve performance and provide every possible relief to the masses.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said the parliament is an important forum for the continuity of democracy and urged all the political parties to ensure its sanctity. He was talking to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. They discussed in detail the issues related to parliamentary system.
The prime minister said the people looked to the elected representatives to raise their issues in the parliament. The real power of the parliament is to serve the people and uphold the Constitution, he added.
Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliki also called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday and discussed matters of importance. The exchange of views focused on bilateral cooperation and the Covid-19 situation. They reaffirmed the resolve to further strengthen the strong, longstanding Pakistan-Saudi fraternal ties.
Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan stressed for enhanced forestation in the county to mitigate the negative effects of climate change and promoting the production of exportable agriculture-related products such as honey, olives, avocado, and other fruits and vegetables for wealth creation. With the depleting forest cover, and increasing air and water pollutions, Pakistan had become the fifth country in the world being affected by the climate change, he said while addressing the launching ceremony of ‘Billion Tree Honey’ Initiative here.
The initiative – part of the Prime Minister’s vision of a Clean and Green Pakistan, is aimed at promoting tree plantation to support production of honey in the country under the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (TBTTP). The prime minister said with 70% depletion in the country’s forest cover due to negligence of previous regimes, one of the big challenges faced by his government was to reverse the situation through various measures such as the initiative of 10 billion tree tsunami programme. He said contrary to the past regimes which did not think about humans and coming generations but for the next elections, the present government was fulfilling its obligations of putting the country back on the right track of clean environment.
Imran Khan said for the first time in the country’s history the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa launched and successfully achieved the billion tree plantation programme, a fact also recognized by international institutions, including the World Bank. He said the initiatives like “Billion Tree Honey” would help protect the forests as the local people, including bee-keepers, would take ownership of the area and not let anyone to cut trees due to their financial interests. Such initiatives supported by the government, he added, would also help promote the culture of enhanced tree plantation for the benefit of people and country alike, and create employment opportunities. He said the country’s known forests in Kundian (Mianwali District) and Changa Manga (Kasur District) had been devastated due to ill planning and leasing of lands to the people on political grounds in the past.
The prime minister since Pakistan was bestowed by Allah Almighty with diverse climatic zones due to mountains, plains, coastal lines, there was a need to tap that natural potential by promoting tree plantation and production of variety of fruits and vegetables to enhance exports.
