Mardan
\nPakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) spokesman Dr Muzamil Iqbal Hashmi has called for a stronger local government system and new administrative units in view of the country\u2019s growing population.
\nHe said Pakistan\u2019s existing system had faced serious failures, leaving people struggling with problems related to electricity, petroleum, wheat, education, healthcare, infrastructure and employment.
\nHe said political stability, long-term planning and fundamental reforms were necessary to take the country out of its continuing crises. He expressed these views while speaking to journalists and party workers at Mardan Press Club and later talking to journalists at a local hotel in Peshawar.
\nPMML Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Ashfaq Khan, Mardan Division President Saqib Hussain, Division President Yawar Aftab, Deputy Information Secretary Taha Muneeb, Social Media Coordinator Hanzala Imad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesman Muhammad Abdullah were also present.
\nDr Hashmi said prolonged load-shedding was unacceptable if billions of rupees were being paid to independent power producers (IPPs) in capacity payments. He said power shortages of 16 to 18 hours, despite payments to plants that remained closed, showed that the existing energy system had failed.
\nHe said repeated fluctuations in petroleum prices had created serious difficulties for industry, trade, transport workers and ordinary citizens. Farmers, he added, were also facing high costs of fertiliser, electricity and other agricultural inputs because of flawed government policies.
\nDr Hashmi said public debt had increased several times since 2008, but schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and urban infrastructure had not expanded at the required pace.
\nHe said new administrative units should be created on the basis of public welfare and consensus rather than political, linguistic or regional interests.
\nThe spokesman said politics must become a means of public service rather than a pursuit of power or revenge. He called for all political parties to agree on a 25 to 30-year national development plan.
\nHe also proposed annual performance reviews and white papers covering education, health, the economy and public debt at the end of each government\u2019s term.
\nDr Hashmi stressed the need to provide technical education to young people and connect them with the global job market. He also called for cheaper electricity, lower taxes and a business-friendly environment to boost exports.
\nHe said PMML would present a comprehensive plan for institutional reform and service-oriented politics to put Pakistan on the path to development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mardan Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) spokesman Dr Muzamil Iqbal Hashmi has called for a stronger local government system and new administrative units in view of the country\u2019s growing population. He said Pakistan\u2019s existing system had faced serious failures, leaving people struggling with problems related to electricity, petroleum, wheat, education, healthcare, infrastructure and employment. He […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":566621,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-566628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-national"],"yoast_head":"\n