PTI unveils economic policy

ISLAMABAD - Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, Friday said that his party would inspire people to pay taxes in order to double the tax to GDP ratio. “Pakistan is a country which pays more charity than taxes because people know their money will not be used properly,” Khan said while addressing a seminar to unveil his party’s Economic Policy Vision here at a local hotel. Boasting PTI’s decision to visit Waziristan despite threats, Khan said it was a test even for his party members as the security situation is very alarming. “But we will protest in Waziristan and this decision of ours shows that PTI has the capability to make big decisions,” Khan said. The PTI chairman added that security is one of the main problems of Pakistan, which needs to be immediately addressed. “The business community in Pakistan is scared and factories are moving away to Bangladesh and Dubai,” he said.On the war against terror, Khan reiterated his stance, saying that Pakistan needs to pull itself out of the war to ensure law and order in Pakistan.About various mafias working in Pakistan, Khan said that people are scared to fight against them because they know the mafias have friends in power corridors. Praising overseas Pakistanis, Khan said the initial support needed to bring Pakistan out of the crisis would come from the Pakistanis living abroad, adding that people need to make Pakistan suitable for investment for its citizens living abroad. “We can only do so by ensuring rule of law and good governance,” he said.Speaking about depoliticising institutions to improve their performance, Khan said institutions can work well only if they are independent and run on merit. Emphasising the importance of a meritorious team, be it for any sport or for running a country, Khan said that he had learned from his cricket experience that you couldn’t win a match if you have a team of your close friends. “A winning team must have best players from across the country,” Khan stated. On declaration of assets, Imran Khan said when PTI would come to power; it will make every government official declare their assets publicly.About adopting austerity, Khan said he would break all the symbols of opulence once in power. “We will vacate all the lavish governmental buildings and convert them into education institutes and libraries,” he said.The PTI chairman said if his party comes to power and is not allowed to implement its plans, then PTI will quit the government.“It’s a useless thing to say that we were not allowed to improve conditions and still stay in government,” Khan said.When asked about Pakistan’s relationships with other countries particularly India and Israel, Khan said that Pakistan has to renew its relations with the international community.“But we cannot trade or have a working relation with Israel because what it is doing with the Palestinian people is unacceptable to Pakistanis,” he concluded.  Earlier, PTI’s SVP Asad Umar while unveiling the economic policy vision listed health and education among reforms in governance and revenue collection as his party’s top priorities.

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