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IMRAN KHAN IN USA

PM Imran Khan addresses Pakistani Community in Washington

WASHINGTON: Venue was the Capital One Arena filled chockablock by thousands of the members of Pakistani community who converged there to listen to PM Imran Khan despite 38 degree C.

Speaking on the occasion PM Imran Khan said he was not expecting to address a huge crowd in a stadium. He said Pakistan would change annually and get better and better. He said that in democracy there was merit while in the monarchy only the lineage mattered. Citing an example he held that Pakistan harbored cricket talent yet due to lack of meritocracy good cricket team was not formed. He also stated that he would form a strong team selecting cricketers on merit. He gave examples of Mughal and Ottoman empires and said that they ultimately vanished because of believing in the blood relations instead of meritocracy.

Imran Khan said that his team was not visiting USA to beg but to negotiate as equals, to talk of peace and friendship and invite big companies/entrepreneurs to invest in mega projects in Pakistan. Recalling the sacrifices given by compatriots he said that enduring peace in Afghanistan would be achieved with the support of Pakistan. He said that Pakistan had an intelligent leader like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. But after that Nawaz Sharif was made leader by Military. Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari too are using the name of Benazir Bhutto. Similarly other  political and religious leadership in Pakistan were also claiming the position due to their lineage instead of merit.

Imran Khan observed that China had a system of meritocracy in politics and that was the secret of their success. He said that in the Naya Pakistan his government had only given power to institutions like NAB and FIA etc. while the cases against Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari and others were made by themselves against each other. He said he was born in a government hospital (that were maintaining very good standards) and at that time Pakistan was progressing and its educational institutions were revered world-over. 

PM said that process of deterioration commenced when money started playing a part in politics. He said today Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Nawaz Sharif were joining hands. He said that meritocracy would be brought to Pakistan and no NRO would be given to the powerful corrupts. Giving example of Hazrat Umar he said that nation only progressed when their leaders were accountable and answerable to the people.  Imran Khan said that the money usurped by the powerful would be recovered and benami properties  would be attached by the state and that was the change and Naya Pakistan. 

Prime Minister said that as a cricketer he had been close to the overseas Pakistanis and noted that wherever they were allowed to excel and grow, wherever they got reward for their hard work they had proved themselves and excelled in all fields. On the contrary (for instance) the educational system of Pakistan does not allow poor to excel. He noted  that in countries like UK and USA when poor Pakistanis get free education, find opportunity they  excel. He said that in Pakistan there will be only one educational system enabling all (including the Madrassah pupils) get modern/contemporary edifice to succeed.  Quoting figures, Imran Khan pointed out that only the offspring of elite, landlords were getting good education from good English Medium schools, whereas majority were getting poor quality education that too in Urdu. He told that millions were studying in Madrassas. He said that at NUML poor Urdu-speaking students learn English and later they go on to get degrees (that is given by Bradford University). He pointed out that the elite class of Pakistan did not let the masses excel. 

Imran Khan said that during the last 11 months (as PM) he had realized that Pakistan was tremendously rich in natural resources. Giving an instance, he said that due to corruption Reco Diq reserves were not excavated (and an international court ruling had slapped a penalty of $ 6 billion on Pakistan). He further pointed out that in the presence of 180 billion tons of coal in Thar, Pakistan should have never suffered from power shortage. But, he noted, due to corruption the resources were never utilized and big companies from abroad also avoided to invest in Pakistan due to corruption. He said his government would root out corruption and time a will come soon when people will be coming to Pakistan from other countries in search of employment. 

He said that State of Madina was the first where the justice prevailed, weak/poor were supported and old were given pension. He said that Progressive Taxation was introduced in Medina where money was taken from rich and given to poor. He said that in Medina  women were given their rights and shares in the inheritance. In Medina, he said slaves were treated as a member of family.

Prime Minister Irman Khan also gave example of Hazrat Bilal and said that was how slaves even were given due respect and treated as a equal. He noted that there were  instances of their becoming kinds.  Speaking about the last Khutba of Holy Prophet Imran Khan said that was how the lesson of equality was taught. He said that was what Pakistan was going to be. 

PM Imran Khan said that he knew about organisations like PIA, WAPDA, Gas Companies, Railways etc. and was endeavoring to ameliorate the state of affairs. He said all those entities were showing losses  when he came into power. He said that all traders will have to get themselves registered and pay taxes and that would be used to repay the debts.

He said that in 60 years Pakistan had a debt of 6000 billion rupees, but in the last ten years those two (Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari) had raised that to 30,000 billion rupees. Asking where the money had gone, he said that the powerful corrupt, who had plundered the nation’s wealth, would be forced to repay the looted money. 

He said that Nawaz Sharif wanted air-conditioner, TV in the jail and food from home., while majority of Pakistanis don’t have access to good food and gadgets like TV, airconditioner etc. He said if they wanted to get out of jail they should return nation’s usurped money. PM further said that he would deprive  them of such facilities in jail and they will have to live sans air conditioners and televisions etc in the jail. 

Speaking about  his tomorrow’s meeting with Donald Trump PM said that he had been saying from the beginning that there was no military solution to Afghan issue, but he was accused of being a Taliban. Now, he held, all were convinced that only dialogue could solve the Afghan dilemma. He said that was what he would be discussing with Donald Trump. At the end he said that 23 years ago he had said that he had never bowed down before anybody except Allah and would not let his nation bow down in front of anybody (except Allah). 

Earlier Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, addressing the charged audience, noted that in the past community addresses were held at the Embassy and five-star hotels but never at an expansive place like Capital One Arena. Lauding the expatriates’ contribution to the economy of Pakistan, he reiterated that the foreign exchange earned by them and sent back to Pakistan was equal to the amount generated by means of exports.

Imran Khan in USA

Imran Khan Community Address 1

A relevant piece published earlier: 

M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.