ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that we used to bow down before global powers in the past but will not bow down now. Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Digital Media Development Program on Friday, he said that we are heading towards making Pakistan like Riyasat-e-Madina (a welfare state).
He said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government wants to make the country a dignified and self-sufficient state. The PM urged the youth not to underestimate themselves and asked to always set big targets for them. “Young people are the future of the country, Quaid-eAzam, Nelson Mandela did not do politics for themselves and people will always remember Quaid-eAzam, Mandela,” he said.
Imran Khan went on to say that a society cannot get developed without the supremacy of law and justice, adding that the PTI government is making efforts to establish the supremacy of law and justice in the country. The premier said that he has no relatives on high positions, adding that the society cannot move forward without merit. PM Imran said media in Pakistan enjoyed an unprecedented freedom but the government had the problem only with the fake news or propaganda.
“I challenge, no government in the history allowed media to act so freely? I guarantee, almost 70% of total TV programs during last three years were against the government. I guarantee, 70% news items with angling were against us,” the prime minister said. The prime minister said he had never seen such a slander against a prime minister or minister, not even in the western democracies.
He said the free media or free judiciary should not be a matter of concern for the incumbent government, if it was not involved in corruption or violation of rules. It was the dictators or the corrupt governments which controlled media and judiciary for their protection, he added. Imran Khan said even three major dailies of Pakistan, in their headlines, had alleged that the nomination of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s prime minister was made on the basis of some sort of astrological table. “Just imagine what could be a slander bigger than that? I would have got damages in millions had this happened in England which I would have given to my charity,” he remarked. Prime Minister Khan appreciated the diligent efforts of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for national security and expressed his satisfaction over professional preparedness.
The Prime Minister along with key Federal Ministers, Chief Ministers of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa visited the ISI Secretariat. Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar were also present, a press release issued by the PM Media Office here said. Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid, Director General Inter Services Intelligence welcomed the dignitaries.
A comprehensive briefing was given to the National and Military leadership on the national security and regional dynamics with focus on ongoing situation in Afghanistan. PM Imran Khan said that a peaceful Afghanistan will be beneficial for Pakistan, opening up possibilities for trade and development projects. In an interview to Newsweek, the premier said, “Following the U.S. withdrawal, Afghanistan faces a difficult transition from the past 20 years of a US-NATO supported governance structure.