Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his desire to initiate talks with India and start trading in order to resolve conflicts, including Kashmir, eradicate poverty and provide better quality of life to the people of the two neighbouring countries. “The best way to alleviate poverty is to resolve our differences through dialogue. To move forward, Pakistan and India must have a dialogue and resolve their conflicts, including Kashmir,” the newly-elected Pakistan PM tweeted.
He expressed gratitude to Navjot Singh Sidhu for attending his swearing-in ceremony in Islamabad. The former Indian batsman and now a minister in the Congress government in Punjab drew flak for attending the event. Not only opposition parties, but CM Amarinder Singh, too, criticised Sidhu’s decision and hugging army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. “I want to thank Sidhu for coming to Pakistan for my oath-taking. He was an ambassador of peace and was given amazing love and affection by the people of Pakistan. Those in India who targeted him are doing a great disservice to peace in the sub-continent,” Khan said.
Bans 1st-class air travel
As part of an austerity measure, Imran government has banned the discretionary use of state funds and first-class air travel by government officials and leaders, including the president and the prime minister. Information minister Fawad Chaudhry who briefed media about the decisions taken at the first cabinet meeting, said that top government officials, including the president, prime minister, chief justice, senate chairman, speaker national assembly and the chief ministers will travel in club/business class. To a question, Chaudhry said the army chief was not allowed first-class travel and always used business class. He said discretionary allocation of funds by the PM and the president and other officials was also stopped by the cabinet. Chaudhry claimed that former PM Nawaz Sharif spent 51 billion Pakistani rupees of government funds in one year by exercising his “discretionary powers”.
The PM also decided to stop using special plane for foreign visits and will travel business class instead. The cabinet took up a host of issues, including reverting to six-day working week, but decided to continue five-day working after some ministers opposed the idea. After his poll victory, Khan decided not to use palatial PM House and instead chose to live in a small portion of it that was previously used as the residence of military secretary. Khan also decided to use only two vehicles and keep two servants.
Lifts political censorship
The government has also decided to lift all political censorship in the state-run media outlets, Chaudhry said. Promising “visible and drastic changes” in the ministry of information within the next three months, the minister said new instructions have been issued to state-run institutions like Pakistan Television and Radio Pakistan for “complete editorial independence.” The new direction was “in line with the vision of Imran Khan,” he said. He said that the Pakistan Television and Radio Pakistan will now enjoy complete editorial independence over the content they produce.
Chaudhry also proposed introducing an English-language channel of radio on the internet, particularly for international audience, Geo News reported. Imran in his first address to the nation had promised wideranging reforms in government institutions with a view to make them independent and free from corruption.
Qureshi for meaningful dialogue
New foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said. “I would like to tell my Indian counterpart that we are not only neighbours, we are also nuclear powers. We have problems which need to be resolved through talks. We have to accept reality and engage in meaningful ways. We have outstanding issues. Jammu and Kashmir is a dispute.”
