Prime Minister Imran Khan has declared that Pakistan needs wealth creation projects to pay off foreign debt and save money for education.
Addressing a ceremony in Malakand, Prime Minister Khan said Lahore’s Ravi City and Bundal Island projects will lead to wealth creation. The projects initiated by the construction industry and two dams being built after 50 years will also help create wealth, he added.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OfNtH1yWlg
Imran Khan said the economic indicators are not improving and the Pakistani currency is soaring in its value against the dollar. The rupee is now trading at Rs155 against the dollar, down from Rs160 in last few days.
He said the corruption of the last 30 years has dented Pakistan’s economic backbone.
He pointed out that the government is building houses for low-income people in Pakistan for the first time.
The prime minister said tourism alone can fetch huge revenue that can cut external deficit. “Swat witnessed an unprecedented number of tourists over the last two years. If tourism picks up, people of Pakistan won’t have to go abroad [in search of greener pastures]. Malaysia generates a whopping $20 billion through tourism, and Turkey $40 billion,” the prime minister highlighted.
Switzerland that earns $60 billion through tourism can’t even match the beauty Pakistan has been bestowed with, he said.
Unfortunately, Imran Khan lamented, the country’s agriculture sector is still using outdated and inefficient methods. “We are going to bring in a new agriculture policy next week that will alone lift the country,” he disclosed.
Swat motorway tunnels
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday visited the Swat motorway and inaugurated the three tunnels that will significantly reduce the travel time.
Prime Minister Imran Khan unveiled the plaque on the occasion to mark the inauguration and also inspected the completed tunnels. Federal Minister for Communications Murad Syed accompanied the Prime Minister.
On his arrival at Zalam Kot, Malakand, the Prime Minister was received by Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan and Director General Frontier Works Organization Major General Kamal Azfar.
Briefing the Prime Minister, the DG FWO said the 80-km-long Swat motorway had seven interchanges and three tunnels with lengths of 1,266, 271 and 324 meters. The DG FWO presented a 3-D model of Swat motorway to the Prime Minister.
The Khyber Pukhtunkhwa government has successfully constructed Pakistan’s first provincial motorway from own resources. Swat Motorway has reduced journey time for commuters especially tourists and traders from over three hours to 45 minutes.