PM Imran answers citizens' questions on telephone

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday spoke to the masses via telephone and answered different questions.

The calls were broadcast live on television and were moderated by Senator Faisal Javed Khan.

Pakistani citizens called the PM and asked questions related different issues, including the coronavirus vaccine, issues of Balochistan and others.

Responding to a query about COVID-19 vaccine, Imran Khan clarified that frontline healthcare workers will be the first to receive the shots.

“As per our plan for vaccination drive, we will then vaccinate people above the age of 60 who might have underlying health conditions,” said Khan.

He also assured the masses that the government will not consider a person's socioeconomic status or the difference between the rich and poor when vaccinating them but will only stick to the set criteria for vaccination.

When asked about development of Gilgit Baltistan, PM Imran responded that the region can be turned into a world-class tourist destination.

"We know that Gilgit Baltistan is facing electricity problems and we will soon build grid stations," the PM said.

Another caller, Ismail Abbasi, asked the prime minister about the eulogisation of the concept of a welfare state — or Riyasat-e-Madina as the PM likes to call it — and asked how would the government ensure the materialisation of the concept.

Commenting on corruption and rule of law, the premier said that the country will only progress towards prosperity when rule of law will be strengthened.

"Giving the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to the powerful and throwing the poor in jails will only destroy the country," the PM said.

Meanwhile, when asked about opposition’s 11-party alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), PM Imran Khan replied that "the biggest looters of the country came together and formed a union and these looters have been trying to pressurise the government for the past two years."

He added that former president General Pervez Musharraf gave the NRO to the biggest looters during his tenure.

"The corrupt rulers of the country stole people's money and laundered it abroad," he said, adding that by bringing up the foreign funding case against the ruling PTI, the Opposition has put itself in a troublesome situation.

"We have provided names of 40,000 donors to the Election Commission of Pakistan in relation to the foreign funding case but the Opposition parties cannot even name one hundred donors."

Prime Minister also talked about inflation and said that he is fully aware of the masses' plight.

The PM added that when he formed a government, Pakistan was going through the darkest economic period in history.

"We are trying to improve the country's economy but people have to be patient," he said.

On Sunday, the development had been confirmed by the Minister for Information Shibli Faraz, who had said that the prime minister will entertain masses' questions during the conversation.