ISLAMABAD: Regarding the role of civil servants in running the government affairs and accomplishment of its policies, Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday hinted that the PTI-led government would re-introduce the merit policy.
During his maiden address to the nation, he regretted that the political interferences and lack of merit policy had impinged upon the functioning of civil service, which was once regarded as the backbone of the country.
The prime minister said the civil service required reformation and assured that there would be no interference from the PTI government.
The honest and dedicated people would be accorded due respect and protection no matter whatsoever they had the political affiliations, he added.
He reiterated that the ordinary man should be treated equally in the society and given the due rights.
He referred to Right to Public Service Act of KP, where bonuses were announced for the departments who delivered on time whereas the others, who failed to achieve the targets, were penalized.
The prime minister said the local government system introduced in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (PK) had transferred powers to the grassroots level and the same would now be implemented across the country.
The prime minister said his government was keen and committed to bringing about police reforms in other provinces with the help of respective provincial governments just like the PTI-led government had introduced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said the PTI registered triumph in the general election in KP due to the reason that its government had made the police force to function on professional lines. He credited former inspector general of police Nasir Durrani for making the reforms feasible in the province.
He said Durrani had agreed to accept an advisory role for bringing about the much-needed reforms in the Punjab police. The federal government would also work with the Sindh government in that regard.

Relevant piece: PM Imran Khan shared his vision for the “Naya Pakistan” that focuses on rooting out corruption, providing swift justice, reviving economy and supremacy of the law, to materialize his dream of a welfare state like that of Madina.
In his maiden 70-minute long address to the nation, aired by all national news channels, the Prime Minister spelt out at length his plans for the reformation of the country, that has been mired in over Rs 28,000 billion loans in the past decade.
Imran Khan while giving a brief outline about the current dismal state of things, where the national economy was in a shambles, and all sectors were in decline, said instead of begging foreign countries for loans, the people of Pakistan needed to sacrifice and stand on their own feet. He made an impassioned appeal to the overseas Pakistanis to send in their remittances through banking channels and have their US dollar accounts in Pakistani banks to bolster the country’s forex reserves.
He also vowed to reform the stagnant taxation system and assured the people that they would be kept informed where their money, they paid as taxes, was being spent. He promised to facilitate overseas Pakistanis for investing in Pakistan, and boost exports.
He reiterated his promise to provide jobs to five million youth, cheap housing, technical training and playgrounds to boost healthy activities.
Imran Khan, who took oath of his office a day earlier after winning the majority vote on his popular theme for fighting the corrupt, expressed the resolve to make the National Accountability Bureau, the Federal Investigation Agency and the Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan all powerful to take to task the corrupt mafias that have plundered the national wealth.
He also assured reforms in the justice system, police, health, education, civil services, local government system. He mentioned the climate change, looming water shortages and environmental pollution as major threats that needed to be addressed without any delay. He lauded the initiative of the Chief Justice of Pakistan for the Diamir Bhasha Dam project and promised to make it a priority of his government.
On the foreign policy front, Imran Khan said he believed that progress and development were the dividends of peace and stability and vowed to pursue a policy of good relations with all countries, particularly with all the neighbors.
The Prime Minister vowed to fully implement the 20-point National Action Plan and take all measures to wipe out terrorism and extremism from the country.
Vowing to lead by example, Imran Khan said he would protect public money and simplicity and austerity would be the hallmarks of his government.
He said the Prime Minister House would be turned into an elite university for research and development. He announced the auction of all additional armored vehicles on the PM House pool, use of only two vehicles, owing to security concerns and two staff members. He said the chief ministers and governors would follow the suit.
The Prime Minister announced the formation of a number of task forces to suggest austerity measures, civil services reforms, bring back the looted wealth from abroad, boost investment, police reforms in Punjab and other provinces, improving health care system and addressing the issue of the water crisis.
He said Pakistan had a rich natural beauty that needed to be exploited and promised four new resorts, plantation of trees across the country, fighting air, water, and land pollution.
On the education sector, he promised education for the 22 million children who were out of schools and equal opportunities for those studying at Madaris.
He particular directed the civil service to serve the masses and treat the common man as the real VVIP and assured to depoliticise the service and ensure merit and professionalism.