Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said that the next two years are very important for the government and improvement would be the only criteria to win the major battleground of Punjab province in the forthcoming election.

Speaking as the chief guest at signing of performance agreements ceremony of various ministries, he said that Punjab would be the battleground and if the government gave results, no one would remember how many transfer and postings were made.

He said that only delivery and performance would enable the government to win the next general election, and not utilisation of development funds.

The premier said that the last two years are critical for the government because in the first year, the entire focus was on the revival of the economy, while in the second and the last year the country was hit by Covid.

"Now there is time to put efforts in the remaining time to bring about meaningful change," he added.

The PM said that the opposition has been opposing the electronic voting system because it was a beneficiary of the status quo and does not want change in the system.

People benefitting from corrupt system are opposing use of EVMs: PM Imran

Those who are taking benefit from the system are now opposing the use of electronic voting machine in the elections, despite the fact that since 1970 every election was made controversial with allegations of rigging, he said, adding that no one has given a solution to the problem.

"Today, the opposition is making hue and cry over the EVM. A very small group does not want the system to be rectified because it was a beneficiary of the corrupt system," the PM added.

He said that the government has to review performances in the light of set targets to deliver as per expectation of the people.

The premier urged the cabinet members to exceed the targets set in the agreements as if the ministries were able to achieve the targets of current fiscal year, it would not be difficult to achieve the targets of the next year.

A total of 41 ministries have prepared 1,090 initiatives for the next two years, said Arbab Shahzad adding that in the first year 426 target would be achieved followed by 586 in the next fiscal year, while on remaining, the ministers would work themselves. These are related to various sectors including development projects, economy, policy making and reforms, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021