Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said the government would transform the erstwhile tribal areas and bring them at par with other regions with annual spending of Rs 100 billion on development and by ensuring provision of health, education and other basic facilities.
"I have always been raising my voice for the people of tribal areas, who have faced many hardships and rendered sacrifices during the war against terrorism," he said while addressing the tribal elders. The Prime Minister said the government would introduce Sehat Insaf Card in erstwhile tribal areas including South Waziristan under which every family would have Rs 720,000 at their disposal for medical treatment from any hospital.
Besides, the government would appoint surgeons and specialists at hospitals, he added. He further said that youth of erstwhile tribal areas would be provided interest-free loans to start their own businesses. The Prime Minister on the occasion also announced the construction of 100 kilometres of roads in South Waziristan, two degree colleges - one each for boys and girls, up-gradation of grid stations and sports complex.
He said that the government would provide electricity to the people of far-flung areas through solar system projects, and construct small dams to address the issue of water in erstwhile tribal areas. The Prime Minister said that no country could achieve progress and prosperity without justice and equality and ensuring the socio-economic uplift of its poor people and backward and neglected areas.
He said his idea of "Naya Pakistan" was actually transforming Pakistan into a welfare state - the dream of which was seen by great philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal and founder of nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The Prime Minister said it was Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) who established the first-ever welfare state in the world in the form of Riasat-e-Madina.
It were the just principles of Madina State - where poor, orphans, widows and old people were looked after by the state - that led to the fall of two big powers of Roman and Persian Empires in a short period of 17 to 19 years, and the rule of Muslims over the next 700 years, he added. The Prime Minister asked the people to trust him by saying that ensuring the uplift of people and areas that had lagged behind over the last 70 years due to injustice done by the previous regimes, was his political philosophy, spanning over 22 years of struggle.
He said the previous rulers pushed Pakistan towards economic problems by raising the country''s debt from Rs 6000 billion to Rs 30,000 billion in ten years, adding, Pakistan had to spend a huge amount Rs 2000 billion per year for debt servicing, out of its total revenue collection of around Rs 4,500 billion.
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