PM firm to collect tax money from rich, spend on poor      

• "They must know that wrong practices of 70 years take time to phase out. But I assure you, this country will overcome tough times and witness a new dawn of progress and prosperity"
• "Even if a country faces financial constraints but pursues the path of Allah Almighty to care for its deserving people, will ultimately achieve success"

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said he was determined to collect tax from the affluent and spend money on the welfare of destitute to bring improvement in their lives.

Speaking at the inauguration of the first Ehsaas Saylani Langar here in Sector G-9 near Peshawar More, the prime minister said the biggest flaw of the current system was that it made rich even richer with poor getting poorer.

The Langar has been opened in joint collaboration of the government's Ehsaas Programme and Saylani Welfare International Trust, which will provide free-of-cost meals thrice a day to the needy.

The prime minister said some people were getting impatient with the government and questioning about the existence of the 'Naya Pakistan' after just one-and-a-half year.

"They must know that wrong practices of 70 years take time to phase out. But I assure you, this country will overcome tough times and witness a new dawn of progress and prosperity," the prime minister said. Imran Khan said with the government's vision of making Pakistan a welfare state, steps were afoot to provide poor basic necessities of life including food and shelter.

"Even if a country faces financial constraints but pursues the path of Allah Almighty to care for its deserving people, will ultimately achieve success," he said.

He mentioned that the government had launched several welfare schemes for improvement of healthcare, police system and women-centric issues, with a basic objective of facilitating the common people.

The prime minister lauded Chairperson Ehsaas Programme Dr Sania Nishtar for effectively carrying out the country's largest socio-economic welfare project having multiple dimensions. During meal time at Langar Khana, the prime minsiter stood in queue behind two labourers and put food in his plate on his turn.

He shared the lunch with the already present poor people gathered for free meal at the venue.

Earlier, Dr Sania Nishtar in her remarks said the Langar project was in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan who wanted that no person in the country slept with empty stomach and under the open skies.

She said by next year, 112 Langars would be opened in collaboration with an organization of international repute Saylani Trust, where the needy would be provided quality meals in a dignified manner.

Founder Saylani Welfare International Trust Bashir Farooqi said Pakistan was blessed to have Imran Khan as a prime minister who had a firm intention to make the country a welfare state which took care of poor, homeless and abandoned people.

He mentioned that the Langar near Peshawar More was set up in only 10 days and the Trust was confident to achieve the target of 112 similar set-ups in shortest period of time with a greater objective of establishing a total of 1,200.

The Langar besides providing free meals also offers 120-bed accommodation for the needy and travelers.