ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that assistance from Saudi Arabia will help ease the financial pressure on Pakistan and also bring government in a position not to burden people with more tough economic measures.
Addressing the nation yesterday, he shared the good news with his people saying, “We have got an amazing package from Saudi Arabia... which has taken off the burden.”
Khan criticised their political opponents who he said had mired the country into the financial mess, and made it loud and clear that whatever the opposition parties do they would not get any NRO from the PTI government.
The premier also said Pakistan was trying to broker peace deal to end the war in Yemen as the country wanted to work for unity of Muslim world.
“One more thing I want to share with you is that we are acting as mediator in the ongoing crisis in Yemen. We are playing a positive role... so as to unite the Muslim world.”
He said they wanted to help resolve the issues between the Muslim countries through negotiation and mediation. He said that he would share progress on this front with nation from time to time.
In his brief address to the nation which followed his successful visit to Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan has successfully obtained a financial package from Saudi Arabia to reduce the immediate burden of loan instalments accumulated by previous governments.
“My country fellows, today I am here with good news for all of you. We were facing really hard times. We were highly pressurised into paying heavy debts. But thanks to Saudi Arab’s extension of assistance, we are out of the pressure,” he said.
Khan said, “Had we gone to the IMF immediately, it would have hurt the nation as fulfilling its tough conditions requires passing on the burden on the masses who are already hard pressed.”
He added, “If we had gone to IMF directly, we’d have to borrow more money and that would have meant tougher conditions which would further burden salaried class and poor segments of society. But now we are in a better position.”
The prime minister asked the people not to worry as they would steer the country out of the economic crisis as he hinted at securing similar economic assistance from two more friendly countries for which negotiations were in progress. He said, “I will get back to you with more good news soon.”
Khan however admitted that next few months would be tough but he asked the people not to worry as they would be redirecting the economy to bring it on track and things would change for better.
Boosting the morale of the nation the premier said that together they would bring country out of the prevailing crisis and transform Pakistan into a country which instead of taking loans would come in a position to lend money to other countries.
No NRO
Criticising the opposition parties which are ganging up against his government, Imran Khan said the government was actually clearing the economic mess created by his predecessors in power and people of Pakistan were in difficulty due to the wrong economic policies of the past governments.
The PM made it loud and clear that these people would not get any NRO from him and his government would show zero tolerance to corruption and plundering of national wealth.
He said these elements were raising hue and cry as they were afraid of accountability. He said he would not be cowed down by these elements and would facilitate them if they wanted to stage sit-in against his government.
The prime minister said that the uproar of opposition was only to divert public attention from their corruption and corrupt practices which they committed during their tenures in government.
“They just want National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) from us,” he said. “I want to give them a message loud and clear: “You can come out on the streets. We will give you containers and give you food, but no one will get an NRO.”
He added that “no corrupt man will go scot free” and warned that “they will all land in jail”. The premier said the country has no future until and unless corruption is rooted out.
Imran Khan said the unearthing of accounts with huge sums in the names of poor people gives the sense of foul play by some people.
He said government is making efforts to stop the illegal outflow of money. He said an investment friendly environment is being created with one-window operation for investors. The government is also bringing a mechanism to facilitate foreign remittances, he added.
The PM said he himself is overseeing the mega project of five million houses. He said a special package will be announced in the coming days for the socio-economic uplift of people from lower income groups.
He asked the nation to be patient in this difficult exercise as the future holds a prosperous and developed Pakistan. He said Pakistan is endowed with immense resources and potential and it will make progress at a rapid pace once corruption is curtailed.
Imran Khan also gave details of how the country’s loan swelled from Rs30 billion in 1971 to Rs6,000 billion in 2008 and then to Rs30,000 billion thereafter.
He also referred to the blatant mal-governance which led to surge in the circular debt from Rs480 billion in 2013, which was cleared by the then PML-N government, again to Rs1,200 billion.
The prime minister further cited that Rs57 billion worth Punjab government cheques were bounced while the PML-N provincial government had also left behind a loan of Rs40 billion.
The condition of PIA, Pakistan Railways and other corporations was also in extremely bad shape only because of the loot and plunder of the PML-N and PPP governments in the past, he maintained.