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| June 18, 2006 | Sunday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1427 |
Imran wants education budget at 5pc of GDP
HYDERABAD, June 17: Describing the federal budget as elite’s budget, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has demanded that at least five per cent of GDP should be allocated for education.
He was speaking to a group of journalists at the residence of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MPA Abdul Rehman Rajput here on Friday.
He said that in India more than four per cent of GDP was allocated for education while in Pakistan it was around 1.7 per cent.
“Unless five per cent of GDP is given to education our country is doomed”, he said.
He said that education was a necessity in the country and not construction of GHQ worth billions of rupees.
Mr Khan said that the entire existing system was anti-poor who did not have access to qualitative education.
He said that any budget which had eight per cent ratio of indirect taxation could not be described as pro-poor because it indicated the level of inflation which was crushing the poor.
He said that under the present system a rich was becoming richer and poor becoming poorer.
He said that a particular class had been benefited and given different relaxations and that expensive cars had been exempted from duty.
Regarding tax on real estate, he said that in the UK people have to pay 40 per cent in respect of capital gains tax while in our country it was just one to two per cent.
He said that on June 20, all political parties would hold a meeting to take a decision about any protest movement the government.
He said that there was a proposal of a summit in London of opposition parties and expressed the hope that political parties would unite on one platform.
He said that the PTI had already suggested amendments to the charter of democracy.
He said that under Gen Pervez Musharraf free and fair elections were not expected.
About Chaudhry Shujaat’s statement to move the Supreme Court to seek advice regarding re-election of the president from parliament, he said that in fact the whole system based on the seventeenth amendment was a fraud.
“How is it possible that a sitting general becomes the president through a vote of confidence. It is a drama to legitimise the rule of military dictator”, he said.
“I am quite clear in my view that if political parties take part in the next general elections under Gen Musharraf it will tantamount to giving legitimacy to the dictator.
We have already seen local bodies and general elections that were all rigged”, Mr Khan said.
Regarding Balochistan’s turmoil, he said that by seeking dialogue-based solution, the government had already admitted its failure on the front.
He asked who would evaluate huge losses of life and property.
“Who owns responsibility for losses of life of people in Balochistan. So far we have not seen any inquiry about Kargil debacle”, he said.
Our Hyderabad Bureau adds: Speaking at a public meeting in Tando Mohammad Khan on Friday, Mr Khan announced that the PTI would launch “Remove Musharraf Movement” in September this year.
He held the present rulers responsible for committing injustices against smaller provinces.
Mr Khan said that free, impartial and transparent elections could not be held if Gen Pervez Musharraf remained in power.
He said that the charter of democracy signed by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif was in the best interest of the country and the nation.
The PTI chief said allocations in budget for the construction of dams was a part of election programme.
Sindh PTI president Zubair Khan said that the PTI was striving hard for the rights of the people. He said that it did not believe in hallow slogans but in practical struggle.
The provincial joint secretary of the party, Lala Hassan Pathan, also spoke on the occasion.
The party launched membership enrolment programme in Tando Mohammad Khan district by distributing membership forms.
PRISONER DIES: An under trial prisoner died in the Civil Hospital here on Tuesday, said a jail official.
The prisoner, Krishan, son of Nagji Kohli, was facing charges in a case of Hudood Ordinance vide crime no 80/01 of the Umerkot Kunri police station in the Umerkot court district.
He was sent to central jail from Mirpurkhas district prison.
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