RAWALPINDI – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that Pakistan’s tough days would be over soon as the government was making continuous efforts for systemic reforms besides social welfare and national development.
Addressing a ceremony to re-launch the halted construction work of Mother and Child Hospital in Rawalpindi, the PM said the nations experienced ups and downs in their journeys.
“Once the system is rectified, you will realize how blessed your country is. Be assured, tough days will be over… Pakistan will sail through a difficult time and will emerge as a great nation,” he remarked.
Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Housing Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema were also present on the occasion.
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The prime minister lauded the dedication of the railways minister to get the construction of the hospital completed that had been facing delay since 2005.
He said besides Punjab government, the national health task force would fully support the project.
He said the fulfilment of basic human needs represented the real government.
He said from the very first day, the government had strived to reform the existing healthcare
facilities besides establishing the new ones.
Referring to the launch of landmark poverty alleviation program, health insurance facility for the poor, shelter homes, housing for the low-income group and business loans for the youth, the prime minister said the government was inculcating a new thinking in the society.
He said no doubt the people were faced with high inflation including increase in gas and power tariffs, the prime minister said this all happened after the national institutions were left under debt burden.
He said the government inherited debt worth Rs 30,000 billion on the country, Rs 1300 billion debt on power sector and Rs 150 billion on the gas sector.
Khan said the nation would have to go through tough times as the government was struggling to reform the whole system to reduce the foreign debts by increasing its revenue. Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar said the construction of the hospital had started in April 2005, and had been scheduled to complete by 2008 but remained incomplete so far.
He said the government had launched Sehat Insaf Card in 18 districts to provide health insurance cover worth Rs 720,000 per family.
He said around seven million such cards would be distributed and the scheme would also be launched in Rawalpindi.
Buzdar said the Punjab Cabinet had approved a project to upgrade Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology to extend its scope of healthcare facilities for paralysed patients.
The chief minister told the audience that Rawalpindi Ring Road would be constructed at cost of Ra 50 billion to address traffic woes.
He said a signal free road on Nullah Leh would also be built costing Rs 70 billion.
Buzdar said Rawalpindi would soon have two women universities as another educational facility had also been approved for the city after Fatima Jinnah Women University.
In his address, Sheikh Rashid said he had decided to develop this 400-bed hospital exclusively for mother and child care realizing the difficulties faced by the women in Rawalpindi region.
Under the project, 11 well-equipped operation theatres would be established.
He said Rawalpindi stood first in female education as 60 educational institutes had been built in the city.
Referring to railways upgradation under China Pakistan Economic Corridor, he said rail speed would be enhanced to 160 kilometres per hour.
He said the upgradation of railways network would create 200,000 jobs.
He said the incomplete development projects including this hospital manifested the failure of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif’s government and viewed that trials of both the leaders should be held at the sites of the halted projects.
