-Ready to talk with PDM on any issue except NRO
-Dares Opposition to table no-confidence motion in Parliament
-Inaugurates new airline in Sialkot
From Our
Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that they have never backtracked from national dialogue and the best place for any political dialogue is Parliament.
Speaking to media during his visit to Sialkot, the prime minister said that he had reiterated on the first day in office that he was ready to respond to any queries in the Parliament.
“The democracy will only prosper when there is a debate,” he said adding that whenever they sought a dialogue with the opposition, they came up with the demand to let go of their corruption cases.
Imran Khan said that even the cases being persuaded nowadays were filed by these opposition leaders against each other. “Ishaq Dar, children of Nawaz Sharif and other relatives of the Sharif Family ran away from the country during the previous tenure,” Khan pointed.
He said that the government was ready to discuss any issue with opposition except an NRO or cancellation of corruption cases.
Speaking of the anti-government move from the opposition parties, the prime minister said that the only way to send the incumbent government packing was to bring a no-confidence motion against them.
“Come to the assembly and bring a no-confidence motion against the government,” Imran Khan asked the opposition and further added that in case of en masse resignations from the assemblies, the government would hold by-polls on all vacant seats and would be able to secure more power.
He challenged the opposition that even 11 parties of the PDM could not hold a public gathering of the size held by the PTI previously.
The prime minister said that the major success of the incumbent government was to rescue the country from going into bankruptcy as the PTI-government inherited a historic debt after assuming power.
“Our major challenge was to come out of the financial backlog, the previous government left behind,” he said adding that finally the economy has shown positive trends and the government is further launching major projects including dams and cities’ projects -Bundal Island and Ravi River Project- to move the economic cycle.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said Sialkot was going to become an even bigger export hub of Pakistan.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of AirSial Wednesday, the premier expressed the hope that the city’s business community will run the airline like it has been running the Sialkot airport, creating a competitive environment for other airlines, including PIA, to improve their service.
About the pandemic, he said the government not only saved its people but also their livelihoods. Taking aim at opposition leaders, he said they criticised him for not declaring a blanket lockdown in the country during first wave of coronavirus and gave an example of India imposing complete lockdown but are now holding rallies as the pandemic’s second wave rages on. PM Imran Khan said Covid-19 cases are on the rise, warning “If we don’t take precautions, this winter will be difficult for us.”
He said all-out efforts are afoot to encourage our business community to help bring about revival of industrialisation. His is the first government whose policy is to industrialise the country after the 1960s, remove hurdles being faced by businessmen and promote ease of doing business, he pointed out.
This will help create wealth, thereby fighting poverty and uplifting underdeveloped areas, he added.
