\u2013Says incumbent rulers unable to take a stand against US
\n\u2013Solutions to economic problems linked with rule of law
\n KARACHI
\nFormer prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday said that when re-elected, his government will focus on the economic uplift of the country but that he would need to be elected with a heavy majority to effect all the measures they deem necessary for the purpose.
\nHe said this on Tuesday while addressing a seminar about the national economy in Karachi from his Zaman Park mansion in Lahore. Imran claimed that his government tried very hard to stabilize and improve the economy with many economic indicators heading in the right direction when his government was ousted in April through a vote of no confidence.
\nOn the topic that his government had approached Moscow for cheaper energy and food at a time when Russia launched a full scale war on Ukraine, Imran said that he still firmly believes that Pakistan should get Russian oil as it is cheap and will help the country get out of the current uncertain situation.
\nPanning the handling of the economy by the incumbent government, he said that the current situation was such that we do not know what may happen a month from now. He said that India is a sovereign state and can take a stand against America but we could not.
\n\u201cThe current rulers of the country are not able to take a stand against America,\u201d he asserted. He further said that free and fair elections are the need of the hour and expressed confidence that when elections are held, the PTI will win.
\nDilating on his economic plans, Imran said that when they return to the power corridors, his administration would connect the country with central Asian \u2018virgin\u2019 states, adding that there were many economic opportunities to explore there.
\nTo further improve inflows, Imran reiterated the government\u2019s plan to enhance tourism, focusing on mountain and religious tourism. \u201cWe must impose rule of law and widen the tax net and start operations against the mafias,\u201d he said, offering a blueprint for the country\u2019s economic revival.
\nImran Khan noted that the economy can\u2019t be improved as long as there was political instability in the country. \u201cInvestors don\u2019t invest amid political instability,\u201d he said, adding that political stability is only possible with transparent elections.
\nTalking about their ouster from government, Imran said that when he found out a conspiracy was afoot to expel him from government, he sent his finance czar Shaukat Tarin to the \u2018neutrals\u2019 to warn them that if they remain \u2018neutral\u2019 in the conspiracy, they will be unable to control the country\u2019s economy.
\n\u201cI messaged the neutrals that their inaction would impact political stability in the country and that would directly impact the economy,\u201d he said, disclosing his counter plan to being ousted. Imran accused the incumbent government of having a 30-year-track record to fail at managing the national economy.
\nHe said that if someone want to restore the confidence of the nation and international investors, it is imperative to hold transparent elections as soon as possible and restore political and economic stability.
\nRecalling the challenges that his government faced, the former premier said when his party came into power, the country\u2019s economy was still in bad shape. \u201cIt would have been difficult if it wasn\u2019t for the help Pakistan received from friendly nations,\u201d he noted.
\n\u201cIf we hadn\u2019t received help from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and China, we wouldn\u2019t have had resources for payments,\u201d the PTI Chairman said.
\nSpeaking about the PTI\u2019s management of the COVID-19 crisis, Imran said he was proud of his economic team for how it tackled the issues.
\n\u201cThe corona crisis was extremely massive. Had we imposed a complete lockdown during the epidemic, people would have died of hunger,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cWe provided relief to people during COVID-19,\u201d Khan said highlighting that his government made the best decisions during the pandemic.
\nHe further claimed that the Lahore Development Authority had informed him about the corruption in the real estate sector. \u201cMultiple cases were registered on the issue but the police and government departments were bribed and silenced,\u201d he alleged.
\nHe also criticized the incumbent government over its \u2018failed economic policies\u2019, regretting that any new incoming government will need to take \u201ctough decisions\u201d to correct the country\u2019s course Imran Khan said Pakistan needed to focus on how to attract investment inflows into the country and investors should be especially incentivised.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2013Says incumbent rulers unable to take a stand against US \u2013Solutions to economic problems linked with rule of law KARACHI Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday said that when re-elected, his government will focus on the economic uplift of the country but that he would need to be elected […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":288250,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2833],"class_list":{"0":"post-296795","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-imran-khan"},"yoast_head":"\n