PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the devastating Army Public School (APS) attack that shook the entire country back in 2014 had united Pakistan in the fight against terror.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC), the premier said that after the gruesome attack that killed over one hundred children, the nation decided to combat terrorism together.
“After the APS attack in 2014, our people had decided to fight the war against terrorism together and now you can see that the law and order situation of the country is completely different,” he maintained.
The prime minister said that a large number of people died across the world because of heart and cancer disease.
He felicitated the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for establishment of the PIC, which would carry out 2500 to 3000 heart surgeries.
Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Governor Shah Farman, provincial minister for health Taimoor Saleem Khan Jhagra and some high officials were present during the inauguration ceremony of the Peshawar Institute of Cardiology.
The premier appreciated the KP government for setting up a state-of-the-art cardiology hospital despite financial constraints and asked the authorities concerned for concentration and maintenance of quality at PIC.
Providing facilities to the general masses is the first priority of the government, he added.
Giving the example of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre Peshawar, the prime minister said the standard of SKMCH&RC has been enhanced. He said that delay in construction of hospitals had escalated cost.
“I have instructed the governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to sell lands at lowest rates for construction of private hospitals in the two provinces,” the premier said, adding that the government had allowed duty-free import of medical equipment.
In a reference to the strike by the medical staff at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad against government’s reforms in the health sector, the premier said that the reforms didn’t mean to privatize the government-run health facilities rather to bring improvement in their functioning. The premier noted that there was a system of reward and punishment in private hospitals to improve the standard and performance of the health facilities, and keeping in view the same notion, the government wanted to introduce reforms to provide best healthcare facilities to the people. He hoped that patients from neigbouring Afghanistan would come to PIC.
He criticized the elites for having medical treatment abroad.
Later, Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the up-gradation project of the Hayatabad Sports Complex in Peshawar and participated as chief guest in a cheque distribution ceremony under the Kamyab Jawan Programme.
Imran Khan stressed the need for evolving a system under which the banks fully supported the business ideas of the youth.
The prime minister also expressed his satisfaction over the interest of the youth in the livestock sector.
He hoped the youth will run this sector on scientific lines which will help significantly bolster its production.
He said if we managed to double our milk production it would greatly benefit the population.
The PM also laid the foundation stone for construction of cricket stadium in Kalam and ground in Swat.
Prime Minister Imran Khan along with other participants observed a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the APS Peshawar martyrs.
The premier was briefed about Arbab Niaz Stadium Peshawar upgradation project.
During a day-long visit to KP, Imran Khan also inaugurated housing scheme in Jalozai, Nowshera, and also gave allotment letters.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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