PM Imran lambasted the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Tuesday, after it approached the SC against the lifetime disqualification – under Article 62(1)(f) – of former PM Nawaz Sharif, suggesting the SCBA should now file a petition for the release of poor people incarcerated in jails, as well.
The PM, since December 2021, has taken notice of attempts to abolish former PM Nawaz Sharif’s sentence, saying that it was unfortunate that that the bar association of the apex court was willing to help end the disqualification of the PML-N supremo.
“The Supreme Court Bar Association is pleading before the court that a man who looted the country’s wealth, was convicted and ran abroad after lying should be given another chance to play a match,” PM Imran said while launching the Naya Pakistan National Health Card scheme in Bahawalpur.
“What’s wrong with stealing then?,” he questioned, asking “if you can’t find anything wrong with what the man did then what is wrong if someone steals; why have the poor been imprisoned and should they not be the first to be released”.
The prime minister then chided the SCBA, “file the next petition asking the courts to open jails in Pakistan”, wondering if only the release of the powerful mattered in the country.
“Our fight is with the gang of dacoits,” the PM said.
“Rule of law doesn’t prevail until the whole nation fights collectively,” he said, stating that regardless of his efforts, if the nation continues to shower the ‘dacoits’ with rose petals then nothing would change.
In his speech, the PM said, the two leaders who ruled for the past decade were frequently discussed by the world’s leading media outlets, their names appearing in leading newspapers and magazines.
PM Imran added that the BBC produced two documentaries on these leaders to show the world how they looted the country’s wealth and how corrupt they were. “The stories about their corruption would come out every now and then,” PM said. “They were never appreciated for doing anything good for the country.”
“A factory would face bankruptcy if you appoint a dacoit as its head,” the PM said. He shared that corrupt rulers who siphoned off money abroad were the reason behind every country that remained poor despite having an abundance of resources.
“Nations never become poorer because of a dearth of resources,” PM maintained while citing Switzerland’s example, saying the country has almost no resources but it is on top because rule of law prevails. “The rulers there [Switzerland] do not dare to siphon money,” he said, adding institutions were strong in the European country and this is where our struggle begins.
“Our struggle is to build this country on the rule of law; make it a welfare state that would lift its downtrodden upward,” PM Imran said, reminding that these were the principles upon which Riyasat-e-Madina was built.
It is pertinent to note that PM Imran has frequently expressed that it was ironic that even “convicted criminals” were harbouring dreams of becoming the prime minister of the country for the fourth time.
While referring to Nawaz Sharif’s stay at London, PM Imran said that the Sharifs’ were living in properties worth billions of rupees. Emphasizing that he knows London well, the premier furthered that London was the most expensive city in Europe and Sharif family’s properties were located within the most expensive area.
PM Imran further added that the country was now moving towards these objectives; the Ehsaas program, Kamyab Jawan Program and Universal Health Insurance programs were taking Pakistan towards a welfare state.
While shedding light on the the National Health Card, he stated that it is providing Rs1 million medical coverage per household annually, will benefit around 10.5 million people belonging to the districts of Rahimyar Khan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar.
He further said universal health coverage was available only in a few countries across the world. In Pakistan, he said, the philosophy behind the health card was in line with the goals of a socio-welfare State of Medin, adding that it would prove to be a phenomenal step in the improvement of healthcare services.
PM Imran also announced that he would soon visit Bahawalpur in the near future regarding further administrative steps for the South Punjab Civil Secretariat in the city. He also dismissed the “unreasonable” criticism of the media that called the government “inefficient”, and stated that economic growth of 5.37%, despite the pandemic, could absolutely not be termed as inefficiency.
In this regard, CM Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar said the launch of the health card in the Bahawalpur division will raise the number of people and households in the national health programme in Punjab by 65%.
By March, he stated, the programme would be expanded to 36 districts of Punjab benefiting around 110 million, adding that the Punjab government was contributing billions for health coverage, especially for cancer patients.
He stated over 100 hospitals have been empanelled in three districts where the patients would be able to avail medical treatment from public and private hospitals.
