LAHORE, Nov 30 (APP):Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday announced the government’s major plans to tackle the growing threat of smog and pollution in all mega cities of the country especially in Lahore by declaring that for the first time in the country’s history, a government was taking drastic steps to quell health hazard impacts of ‘the silent killer’.
Addressing a press conference here, the prime minister named pollution caused by transport as one of the major reasons for environmental pollution, saying that the government had decided that till end of year 2020, Euro 5 fuel would be imported, while the recent fuel would be converted into Euro4.
He expressed the hope that with such steps, 90 per cent pollutants in the air could be reduced.
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, PM’s Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and ministers were also present.
Responding to a query, the prime minister said with the grace of Almighty, Pakistan was now out of the economic crisis and they would now be focusing on the economic growth, creation of employment opportunities, construction and after every six months, the countrymen would feel the difference.
He further maintained that when the value of rupee drops by 35 per cent against the US dollar, it can give rise to inflation, however, he expressed the confidence that the nation had been through this difficult time and now moving towards economic stability and turn around leading to ‘good times’.
The prime minister also appreciated his economic team and said today, even the World Bank chief had been all praise for Pakistan. Rupee was being strengthened, stock market was showing robust trends, and there was flow of foreign investment and continuous growth.
The prime minister said his government had inherited the biggest ever fiscal deficit and whopping debt and its political opponents were expecting that it would succumb to such challenges within months which did not happen. “The government has been facing such mafia from the day first,” he added.
“That mafia has one concern as to how to save their embezzled wealth and ill gotten assets. They are not interested in Pakistan. They had gathered around Maulana (Fazl) who had arrived Islamabad to conquer it. But rather, he was coming to distribute diesel permits. All the mafia that surrounded him even did not know what were the reasons of Maulana’s arrival,” he added.
He said, this mafia then rushed to the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Supreme Court. They had one objective in their failed efforts; that was to destabilize the government.
They had only one fear that they would no longer be able to eat that ‘halwa’ and feared that if the government succeeded in its economic and development policies, their antics and business would be ended forever, he added.
About reforms in Punjab province, the prime minister maintained that these had never been undertaken in the history and for such achievements, they could not waste Rs50 billion on advertisements like the past rulers.
Defending the chief minister of Punjab and the recent reshuffle in the bureaucracy, he said Buzdar was a gentle man who was not misusing the public money on his personal security.
About Kashmir issue, the prime minister said it had been never highlighted in the past the way his government was taking it up.
Source: VNS, Lahore
