A few weeks ahead of general elections in the country, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Monday said that his party would have good relations with the US if voted to power. Speaking at a ceremony organized to unveil PTI's manifesto for 2018, Khan said, "The US is a superpower and of course everyone would want to have good relations with a superpower."
The PTI chief said that Pakistan would want to have good relations with all its neighbours, adding, "Our main problem right now is not the US, as it is a sort of ongoing cold war with India and we believe that terrorism is coming into Pakistan via Afghanistan but it is originating from India."
"Pakistan's main problem right now is to have stability in the country and it would come only if we have peace with our neighbours," he added. Unveiling the PTI manifesto, Khan said whosoever would come into power after July 25 elections, he would have to face biggest economic challenge in the history of the country as previous PML-N government has destroyed the economy.
He said that there's a daunting challenge ahead and to cope with the problems, the party has set its election manifesto based on model of Madina state of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) - the principles of humanity and justice.
The major features of the manifesto include transformation of governance, strengthening the federation, inclusive economic growth, uplift of agriculture, building dams and conservation of water, revolutionizing social services and ensuring Pakistan's national security. In the manifesto, the last PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been taken as a role model and major reforms brought in KP would be introduced in the whole country, he said.
Under the head of "transform governance," the manifesto says that PTI will bring accountability to the core of government and would ensure full autonomy for, and build the capacity of, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and other accountability institutions and pursue all major corruption scandals regardless of political affiliation. It says that PTI will empower people at the grassroots level through local government; depoliticize and strengthen police; reforms the criminal justice system and provide speedy access to justice. "We will reform the civil service into a merit based and depoliticized cadre of professionals." The manifesto says that PTI will institutionalize e-governance practices in public administration; facilitate delivery through legislative reform (Right to Information, Right to Services); reform government procurement and ensure freedom of the press.
The manifesto says that PTI will consolidate integration of FATA with KP; champion reconciliation in Balochistan; spearhead creation of a South Punjab province along administrative lines; transform Karachi; bring political and socio-economic empowerment in Gilgit-Baltistan; initiate poverty alleviation drive across Pakistan's poorest districts; ensure constitutional rights for minorities; promote gender parity and ensure a greater stake for overseas Pakistanis.
The PTI says that it will reform Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) under the "Inclusive Growth Program" and increase the tax net through a robust tax policy; efficient tax administration structure and effective enforcement mechanism. Besides reformation of FBR, the PTI will create 10 million jobs and strengthen the labour market, and implement policy framework to build five million houses. Khan said that PTI had contacted the real estate tycoon of UK, Aneel Musarrat to uplift housing sector of the country and "we have to bring the mortgage system. We will make new construction companies and these housing schemes will create new jobs."
The manifesto says that PTI will make Pakistan business-friendly; revive manufacturing and facilitate rapid growth of the SMEs; transform key economic institutions; fix Pakistan's energy challenges; ensure CPEC translates into a game changer and ensure access to finance for citizens and industry. Khan said, "CPEC is not a game changer but can be made a game changer."
Under the Economic Growth, the PTI says that it will boost the tourism industry; turnaround IT sector to build a knowledge economy; strengthen international trade; revitalize textile sector and boost exports.
The PTI's future program says that PTI would unleash Pakistan's potential in agriculture; revamp the live stock sector; build dams; solve Pakistan's water scarcity challenges and revive the fisheries industry.
PTI will ensure universal health coverage and enhance the focus on primary care while upgrading secondary and tertiary facilities. The manifesto says that PTI will transform the education sector; unleash the potential of the youth; expand the social safety net; provide clean drinking water for all; tackle climate change and champion green growth; create a more caring Pakistan for people with special needs; tackle the population growth challenge; and promote sports, arts and couture.
The manifesto states two dimensions of national security i.e. external and internal. It says, "There is a need for structural changes as over the years the delivery of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has deteriorated as its institutional structure has failed to keep pace with demands of the changing global environments."
The proposed document says that there is need for an institutional framework to deal effectively with internal security and PTI has proposed "National Security Organization" for this purpose.
The manifesto says that National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) can act as the Secretariat to the National Security Organization while PM as its chairman and it should comprise two parts; the plenary council and the specialist working group. The minister of interior should be the deputy chairman of council while ministers of finance, foreign affairs and defence as well as National Security Advisor, the chairman JCSC, CoAS, CNS, CAS will be as its members. To counter terrorism, PTI will begin implementing a comprehensive internal security policy based on 4 E's; expose, enforce, eliminate and educate.
The document says PTI's defence and security policy will be made multidimensional to deal with the emerging nature of threats at multiple levels especially "the enmeshed international dimensions of the threat of terrorism." "PTI will move substantively on the bilateral strategic dialogue with India encompassing all aspects of the strategic nuclear deterrence so as to prevent a spiralling nuclear arms race in the region," it concluded.
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