PM Imran vows to defeat mafias, replace underperforming ministers

Prime Minister Imran Khan has reiterated his position regarding his firm stance vis-à-vis all kinds of mafias active in the country, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

During his live telephone inquiries by the public on Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he would defeat the corrupt mafias. He said that all mafias including the sugar mafia did not want a rule of law in the country. But the premier vowed to defeat these forces. 

He said it was Jihad to bring the powerful under the rule of law and he promised to wage a war against corrupt mafias and showed his determination to win this war against them. He said the sugar mafia would never want the rule of law in the country. 

PM Khan said that a country whose leader started stealing money, that country was destined to destruction. 

The prime minister said that his government did not interfere in the judiciary’s affairs. He said that in Nawaz Sharif’s stint, his supporters attacked the judiciary with clubs and bludgeons. He said those who regard themselves as great leaders had fled the country. He said there was a rule of law in the West. But everywhere we could find people who are opportunists, the premier added. 

He said in the past judges were bought, adding that without establishing justice, Pakistan could not make progress. 

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He said Justice ® Munir gave a verdict in favour of the powerful. And the system of justice got affected with his just one verdict, he added. He said both weak and powerful are equally accountable to the same law. 

Prime Minister Khan once again appealed to the public to follow the Covid-19 social curbs and wear masks to stop the surge of deadly third coronavirus wave which is wreaking havoc in the country.

He said unfortunately we were not standing with Kashmiris as we should have stood with them. 

No talks with India

Premier Khan said there would be no talks with India unless New Delhi withdrew its August 5 steps and restored the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the western media was also criticizing India. But the premier lamented that unfortunately the western media and western countries raised the Kashmir issue only to further their own foreign policy aims. He said "they want to see a powerful India to tackle the growing threat of China". 

PM Khan was of the view that India could not stand up to China, if it did so it would write down its own destruction. 

Responding to a question, Imran said many ministers were doing good work. But those who were not performing well, they would be replaced. 

PM Khan said the government was making arrangements for the training of bank managers of the housing schemes. He revealed in coming days things would become easier regarding these schemes. 

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He said his war against ‘Qabza group’ (land mafia) would continue. He informed that authorities vacated 21,000 acre land worth Rs27 billion from the illegal possession of land mafia. He said that former MNAs and MPAs were also part of these land mafias. 

He said if mafia people grabbed land, the aggrieved party should report the matter on government’s web portal. He challenged that anyone could go to court if he felt deceived. He said if such case landed in courts, it would take almost 40 years to get resolved.  

Prime minister said with the arrival of Amazon in Pakistan, our exports would be increased. He said smuggling was destroying our industry. He said Iranian petrol was being smuggled into Balochistan which was causing a huge loss of Rs180 billion to Pakistan economy.  

PM Khan said that his government was establishing border market which would generate job opportunities in the country. 

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He said we were trying to manufacture Covid-19 vaccine in Pakistan, adding that he would share good news with people soon. 

The PM eulogized the work of foreign embassies saying they had done excellent work with regard to diplomacy. But my conversation with the foreign embassy should not be aired, he said adding that overseas Pakistanis could lodge their complaints on government’s portal if they had any complaints against their embassies. 

The premier said we were going to face a water crisis in every city, adding that if the government did not initiate Ravi City Plan in Lahore, the provincial capital would have confronted with water scarcity. He said the water shortage in Karachi was acute. 

He also said the government was setting up a special bank that would grant loans with the sole aim to construct houses. 

Tarin tasked to reduce inflation 

PM said countries did not ruin by the stealth of small thieves, rather they were destroyed by the loot committed by big dacoits. He said he was afraid of God that’s why he did not give NRO to the thieves. 

He said electricity had become costlier all over the world by 64% and prices of eatables edged up 29%.He said prices of crude oil shot up 84%. He said prices had been raised everywhere due to Covid-19 pandemic. 

He said it was previous government which signed agreement with Qatar for gas supply. He said capacity payment had reached Rs900 billion. He said his government had got a reduction of Rs134 billion in IPs agreements. He said during the tenure of PML-N there were Rs180billion capacity payments. When his party government took power, there were Rs484 billion capacity payments. 

He said Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin was given a mandate to bring down inflation. 

He said our foreign exchange reserves had reached $15.6 billion. He said dollar-rupee parity was now at Rs152 per dollar.

He emphasized on the need of growing more trees in the country. He said up till now 1 billion trees had been planted in the KP. He said we had to save the green areas. He said when the English left this country nobody thought of the development of its tourist resorts.  He said there are by laws in Switzerland that’s why it’s beautiful. He said no building could be constructed by flouting building laws. He said Islamabad city had grown  1 ½ times in 20 years’ time and Lahore also grew 1 ½ times in 20 years without any planning. 

The PM said our export growth rate was 13.5%, adding that all our textile mills were working on full capacity now. He said there was increase in the sale of cement. He said tractors’ sale rose to 58%. He said sugarcane production rose to 22%. And farmers earned Rs1,100 billion, he added. 

He said current account deficit was in surplus since 10 months.

He lamented Israeli authorities attack on Palestinians on the night of 27th of Ramazan. He condemned the Israeli aggression on Palestinians. He said he asked Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to talk to his Saudi and Turkish counterparts. He said he held talks with Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman on Islamophobia.