Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday called upon the world to help Afghanistan achieve peace after the decades of turmoil it has suffered.
“The world should try its best to bring peace in Afghanistan. There has been conflict there for 40 years. Their people have faced such hardships.
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“It is time now that the world help Afghanistan achieve peace. The Taliban are trying to reach an inclusive political settlement and they are speaking of peace, so we should help them,” he said, while addressing a ceremony at Islamabad’s Convention Centre to unveil PTI’s performance over the last three years.
The PTI has released a 256-page performance report to highlight the achievements since the party came into power in 2018.
The prime minister thanked his entire team and his allies — PML-Q, BAP and MQM, GDA — who stood with the party in the last three years.
Earlier in the ceremony, welcoming the audience, he especially greeted the newly elected Azad Jammu and Kashmir government representatives.
He quipped: “I was looking at Faisal Javed Khan. He is so enthused always whenever he gets a mic, he never lets go of it, like in our jalsa days.”
The premier also lauded Sindh Governor Imran Ismail’s talent for producing PTI anthems, saying it may very well overshadow his performance as a governor. Ismail earlier sang “tabdeeli aayi re” in the event, besides humming a tune in the making for “mujhhe kyoon nikala”.
Performances were also given by Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi and Abrarul Haq, besides several video clips played to showcase the PTI’s and Imran Khan’s struggle over the years.
PM Imran Khan, when he spoke, shed light on the importance of the youth recognising that our prayer to God to put us on the path of blessings, not of ruin, is the path of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
“If we want to be great, God has already laid out the path for us.”
The prime minister recalled how he was mocked in the party’s early days, but said that he continued to focus on one thing: how the Holy Prophet (PBUH) saw such hard times but remained resolute.
“We must never fear such times. Yes, this is a hard time (for Pakistan), but we must not panic.”
“The ups and downs in life prepare you (for greatness),” he said.
Addressing the youth, he said: “Don’t ever think that life is easy. If it is easy, that means you have no standing.”
“Whoever stands on the true path, has to face difficulties. All of Allah’s messengers faced troubles. And that is the path we believe in.
“But people want an easy way out and at the same time seek the path of blessings […] you must never cry over such times.
“If you understand and analyse such things properly, you will see that the tough path is the path to your success,” he said.
The premier added: “No one has achieved success without failing. It is impossible for someone to just land on his feet.”
“No one has become a leader with shortcuts. Look at the struggle of Quaid-e-Azam. If there is one leader I believe in, it is him.
“The way he struggled, especially towards in end, during his illness. He did not do it for his personal gain, he did so for a greater purpose. And this is why people will continue to laud him.”
The prime minister said that last three years were spent with “great difficulty” after having inherited a bankrupt country left behind by past rulers.
“Our reserves were [low], our liabilities [high]. We had no money to pay back our debtors. We were not going to default, we were in the process of defaulting, because we had no foreign exchange.”
He also spoke of other challenges: the coronavirus crisis, and before that the Pulwama incident.
‘Thank God for the Pakistan Army’
“I thank God, we have the kind of armed forces that we do. When [India] bombarded us in the middle of the night, I realised then that if we did not have the kind of army that we rely on so much, what would we do before such a powerful opponent?”
“And this mafia that gave speeches against our army […] I too have spoken out against the army in the past […] everyone makes mistakes, but the aim is not to malign them.
“They are after the army because they want them to topple the government. You call yourselves a democratic government and seek the removal of a democratic government?” he said, in criticism of India.
“The Indian lobby is trying its best to malign the Pak Army […] and this has been going on for a while,” said the premier.
He said that it is due to the confidence that the country has in the Pakistan Army, that it was able to boldly tell the Modi government that if they tried anything, Pakistan will provide a befitting response.
The PTI’s three-year progress report
PM Imran Khan highlighted the key achievements of his government marking a journey of stable economy, development and welfare projects.
The report aims to give an insight into the efforts of each ministry and division in facilitating the common man in line with the vision of Naya Pakistan.
The performance report 2018-21 has been compiled by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under the patronage of its head Chaudhry Fawad Hussain.
The 251-page report gives an outline of the achievements of 44 public bodies, including ministries, divisions and departments, through infographics and relevant facts and figures.
