LAHORE – The Prime Minister Imran Khan says Pakistan is endowed with hugepotential which can be exploited by good governance and eradicating thecorruption.
Talking to media in Lahore on Sunday, he said the huge loans taken by theprevious governments have indebted the country to such an extent wherelevying of taxes and consequent inflation have become inevitable.
The prime minister said it is a challenging time today, but the countrywill come out of this.
He said the PTI government is in the process of policy making and bringingreforms in all sectors whose impacts will be visible to people after 100days of our government.
Referring to illegal money of Pakistanis stashed abroad, the Prime Ministersaid properties of ten thousand Pakistanis in foreign countries are beinginvestigated to ascertain whether they were acquired through legal sourcesof money.
He said Pakistanis bought properties worth 900 billion rupees in Dubaialone during the last five years. He said notices have been sent to 300people to inquire the sources of their income.
Imran Khan said even inside the country 70 bank accounts have beenidentified where illegal money transactions took place. He said governmentis in touch with authorities in UK, Dubai and Switzerland to get theinformation about the people who have placed their money and boughtproperties there.
The prime minister said overall debt of Pakistan was 6000 billion rupees adecade ago, which reached to 15000 billion rupees after the end of PPPgovernment. The loan soared to a staggering 28000 billion rupees when thelast government completed its term.
He said external debt has increased from 60 billion dollars to 95 billiondollars whereas current account deficit that was two billion dollars in2013, is now 16 billion dollars.
The prime minister said the loans of public sector enterprises have reachedto an alarming situation. He said circular debt is reaching an alarmingfigure of 1200 billion rupees while the deficit of gas sector is 157billion rupees.
He said Pakistan Steel Mills which is out of production is under heavy loanof 187 billion rupees while Pakistan Railways is under a debt of 37 billionrupees. The national carrier PIA is under debt burden of 360 billion rupees.
The prime minister said anti-encroachment drive of the government hassucceeded in retrieving thousands of kanals of state land from land mafia.He said 4547 kanals of land in Islamabad has been recovered worth 200 to300 billion rupees. In Punjab, 2000 acres of land has been retrieved, outof which 2400 kanals was occupied by a politician.
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He said the government will soon bring witness protection law to provideprotection to those who identify such encroachments.
Replying to a question, the Prime Minister said the upcoming localgovernment system will empower people at the village level. He said firstvillage level elections will be held and then direct elections at Tehsillevel will be conducted.
To another question, Imran Khan said the financial situation of the countryis dilapidated and there is no other option but to go to internationalfinancial institutions for financial help. He said the government isweighing different options, including IMF bailout package, to overcomeeconomic crisis.
The Prime Minister while defending his choice of Chief Minister Punjab saidUsman Buzdar is an honest and simple man who lives in Pakistan and utilizesall those services that are used by common man.
He said Chief Minister Punjab meets all Members of Parliament and takesinterest in their problems unlike previous chief ministers. He said UsmanBuzdar will never indulge in corrupt practices and he is a symbol of change.
The Prime Minister said previous chief ministers lived like king and a sumof 8000 billion rupees was spent in Punjab during the last decade. He saidannual expenditures on Lahore are three times more than the wholeprovincial budget of KPK.
Imran Khan reiterated that operation against corruption will continue withfull force. He said National Accountability Bureau is an independentinstitution and pursuing the corrupt elements with impunity.
He said the opposition making hue and cry over the arrest of PML-N leadershould understand that he is facing corruption cases that were made duringthe tenure of last government and incumbent government does not believe invictimization of political opponents.
He said billions of rupees have been siphoned off from the nationalexchequer and law will take its course to recover these.
