Imran Khan unveils agenda for 'new Pakistan'

Imran Khan unveils agenda for 'new Pakistan'

Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan. (File Photo: IANS)

Islamabad, April 30 (IANS) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has unveiled his party's 11-point agenda to turn the country into a "Naya Pakistan" at a rally in Lahore.

Addressing a large public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan on Sunday, Khan announced the agenda for the upcoming general election which, according to him, will help establish "one system of justice, reduce poverty and elevate the living standards of the poor".

Khan lamented that today's Pakistan was neither the vision of Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Quaid-e-Azam) nor Allama Iqbal. The Quaid, he said, had dreamt of a country where all citizens, including all minorities, had equal rights.

Pakistan, Khan said, must choose between dishonour and dignity.

He said elimination of corruption, self-reliance, health and education were the top priorities of his party, Geo News reported.

Discussing the education sector in Pakistan, Khan stressed that a country can never flourish without emphasizing on education. "About 3.5 crore children study in government schools. Half of Punjab's budget is being spent on Lahore (alone). I ask Shahbaz Sharif who's ruling Punjab for 10 years, how many international level universities did he establish?"

"Countries don't flourish because of the roads and bridges, but when you spend on human development," Khan lashed out at the present government, adding that the PTI will "invest maximum on the development of the people, on one education system in Pakistan".

He vowed to introduce a health insurance system modelled on the "Sehat Sahulat" card in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region for the poor across Pakistan.

The PTI chief said his party would also work on generating revenues for the country to free Pakistan from heavy debts and promised the youth better employment opportunities by offering incentives in the tourism, housing and construction sectors.

Speaking about corruption, he cited his decision to expel 20 MPAs from his party for "selling votes" in the Senate elections earlier in 2018. Khan vowed to "eliminate corruption from the country".

--IANS

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