LAHORE: Acknowledging that the army and judiciary are standing alongside the government, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that the country cannot progress until all state institutions work hand-in-hand.

Speaking at a ceremony organised by the defunct Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy’s information secretary Munir Ahmad Khan at a hotel here on Sunday, he said the government was determined to implement a comprehensive reforms agenda to steer the country out of economic and administrative challenges.

Referring to massive losses being incurred by state institutions like the Pakistan International Airlines, Steel Mills, PTV News and Radio, Mr Chaudhry said the government wanted to utilise these institutions’ dead assets.

Says comprehensive reforms agenda will be implemented to steer country out of economic, administrative challenges

Stating that the PIA was facing an annual loss of Rs45 billion while PTV News and Radio Pakistan Rs1.25bn and Rs0.5bn, respectively, he said the government wanted to utilise their dead assets and inject the earned resources into these institutions.

Emphasising that middle class is the most vibrant segment of society, the information minister said the middle class revolt against the status quo had voted for the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to form its government in the country. “We came through a process of change and cannot afford status quo.”

He pointed out that Prime Minister Imran Khan himself represented the middle class. The minister said the middle class was not satisfied with the health, education, security and other facilities available in the country. “They rightly expect more from the PTI government and we need to break the existing status quo in the country.”

He said the government was now setting its direction and began with austerity measures to ensure that it should not go all out for seeking loans from international organisations as the previous governments did. He said the country was facing a total debt of Rs6 trillion when former military ruler retired Gen Pervez Musharraf left. It rose to Rs13tr during the Asif Zardari government and recorded a more than 100 per cent increase during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz rule as it touched the Rs28tr mark.

The minister said Imran Khan started auctioning PM House’s luxury vehicles and buffaloes as a token measure of austerity before asking the nation to avoid luxuries. He said the previous government had bought 33 luxury vehicles worth Rs980 million for the prime ministers of Saarc countries, who were coming to attend the bloc’s conference in Pakistan. Though the Saarc conference could not be held, he said, the government spent Rs350m on the cars’ maintenance.

Mr Chaudhry said PM Khan wanted to “transform Pakistan into a peaceful and green country, where people could get decent health and education facilities and nobody should die for want of clean drinking water”.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2018