LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan has reaffirmed the determination to transform Pakistan into a welfare state to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
He was addressing a ceremony in connection with the ground breaking of LDA City Naya Pakistan Apartments in Lahore. The prime minister said this is a defining moment for the country as the war has been waged against the mafias to bring them under the ambit of law. He noted that only those nations move forward where there is rule of law.
PM Imran Khan said the mortgage facility has been introduced after the passage of foreclosure law to ensure low cost housing for the poor and fixed income groups.
He thanked the courts for allowing the government to implement the foreclosure law, saying that the government could allow people to own houses on mortgage. He said now people from the lower income class such as mechanics, welders and others could own their houses by paying installments to banks.
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the increased activity in the construction industry saying the cement sale witnessed record increase last month.
PM Imran Khan said the government is working to provide universal health coverage to the people. He said all the households have been covered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa whilst Punjab government has taken the challenge of providing health cards to each household by the end of this year.
The prime minister said the status quo did not want Pakistan to change for the better, saying that over the years, the country adopted a system where bribery to get something accomplished became a norm.
He said Pakistan will “have to transform itself” if it needed to meet challenges of the 21st century. He thanked the Lahore Development Authority and acknowledged the Punjab government for backing the authority in ensuring this scheme was launched for the low-income sector.
Imran Khan said the network of Panagahs and the ‘Koi Bhooka Na Soi’ scheme will be expanded to the whole country. He mega project of targeted subsidy will be launched after the completion of poverty survey in June this year.
