ISLAMABAD: Describing the recent motorway incident near Lahore as very unfortunate and distressing, Prime Minister Imran Khan called for the need of introducing new legislation for strict and exemplary punitive measures, including the public-hanging of the people convicted in rape cases, or chemical castration or surgery of the person(s) involved in the heinous acts such as gang-rape.
“This incident has shaken the whole nation. All have sisters, daughters and children… This incident has hurt the people from across the country,” Imran Khan said in an interview with a private television channel 92-News.
During the interview, the prime minister spoke on various subjects ranging from COVID-19 to economic situation, political situation and foreign policy.
He said besides effective policing, there was a need to have registration of sex-offenders and pedophiles with tracking and tracing of such people who often indulged in such crimes after getting out of jails.
The prime minister said the international institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO) appreciated Pakistan’s handling of the COVID-19 and urged other countries to learn from its experience.
He, however, warned that there could be another coronavirus spike in winter, and asked the people to exercise caution and continue to adopt the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
About his government’s two years performance, he said saving the country from default due to balance of payments, which could put Pakistan into a very difficult economic situation, was one of its major achievements.
He, however, in response to a question agreed that the government should have approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) earlier for a bailout. He was looking for resources from friendly countries, the prime minister added.
To a question about the performance of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, he said since he (Buzdar) was media-shy he could not properly highlight his government’s achievements like Shehbaz Sharif, who used to promote himself through advertisements and getting written and published articles in newspapers in his favour.
Usman Buzdar, he said, was not corrupt. It was the prerogative of a chief executive to have his team of bureaucrats posted at various positions and depoliticize the bureaucracy.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said the government’s projects in Punjab were aimed at raising the living standard of poor especially in backward and neglected areas, adding, his government was also spending more funds in Balochistan and new merged tribal areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which had lagged behind.
To a question about the local government system, Imran Khan said his government was bringing a new local government system in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa which would empower the people at local levels through the direct election of Nazims at village and tehsil levels and mayors for big cities.
To a question about the situation of Karachi after recent rains, he said all the stakeholders were on board to address the civic problems of Karachi including water, sewerage, roads, transport etcetera and time-lines had been given to address all the issues within the next three years.
About the Middle East situation in the context of diplomatic ties of United Arab Emirates and Bahrain with Israel, the prime minister said every country had its own foreign policy, adding, however, there would be no difference in the situation unless the people of Palestine were satisfied.
On the issue of Israel and Palestine, Pakistan would continue to follow the policy of the country’s founding father Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, he added.
About the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the country and the growing Pak-China relations, he said Pakistan would benefit from Chinese experience of poverty alleviation, establishment of Special Economic Zones, enhanced agricultural production through advanced seeds, and creation of urban centers for fast economic growth.
