Imran vows drastic measures to overcome economic challenges

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Tuesday vowed to take drastic measures, including curtailing expenditure on the VVIP culture, to overcome the enormous economic challenges being faced by the country.

Addressing members-elect of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly here, Imran Khan said a committee would be constituted to review the expenditure incurred by the offices of president, the prime minister, ministers and other high dignitaries, and suggest austerity measures.

The savings through curtailing expenditure of the offices of very very important persons (VVIPs) and other departments would be spent on the people’s welfare, he added. The PTI had not come into government to rule but to serve the masses, he added.

The country, he said, was facing the worst financial crisis which it had never witnessed since its inception. About approaching the International Monitory Fund (IMF) for a loan, Imran Khan said the PTI government would take any decision in that regard after thorough deliberations.

“We have to do away with traditional politicking and set a better example of good governance within limited expenditure,” he said, as otherwise, the people would not forgive the PTI expressing their anger with more severity than the previous regimes.

He said there would be a discretionary fund for any minister for execution of any scheme as his government would rather do legislation for the elimination of the same.

Imran Khan said in today’s world nothing could be kept secret from the people and the elected representatives would have to remain careful and cautious while running the government affairs. “Having fear from the Almighty, we will have to work round-the-clock for the public welfare,” he added.

The PTI chief said former KP chief minister Pervez Khattak had run the government in very difficult circumstances and deliver. The party workers would have to be vigilant for good governance by their government, he added.

He said the selection of the chief minister and ministers was his responsibility and he would do that job purely on merit.

The ministers, he said, would be given targets of their respective portfolios and held accountable through a proper mechanism.

They would have to reach their offices by 9 am, he said and added the PTI government would not disappoint the people as far as its slogan of making a ‘new Pakistan’ was concerned. Change, he said, could not be brought without sacrifices. The parliamentarians would have to set an example by being honest and doing hard work in the performance of their jobs, he added.

“We have to do more work in reforming the police, education, health and local government as we have to change this country in the coming five years,” he said.