Pakistan’s legendary cricket star-turned politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly. The charismatic Khan is set to become the new Pakistan Prime Minister in what will be the second consecutive democratic transfer of power in the country.
In his address to the nation from Islamabad, Khan listed out his priorities for Pakistan as he takes the hot seat. He said Pakistan was ready to improve its ties with India, asserting that the blame game between the two neighbours, detrimental to the sub-continent, should stop.
“If they take one step towards us, we will take two, but at least (we) need a start,” 65-year-old Khan said today in his first public address after leading his party to victory in the general elections held yesterday.
His party emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly elections, amid rival political parties’ claim of “blatant” rigging in the counting.
Khan said Kashmir is the “core” issue between the two countries and it should be resolved through talks.
“I am a person who arguably knows the most people in India because of my days in cricket. We can resolve the poverty crisis in South East Asia. The biggest problem is Kashmir,” he said, suggesting that the two sides should come to the table to resolve it.
Khan said that “Kashmiris were suffering for long” and that India and Pakistan must resolve the issue through talks.
“Kashmiris are suffering for long. We have to solve Kashmir issue by sitting across the table. If India’s leadership is willing then the both of us can solve this issue through dialogue. It will be good for the subcontinent also,” he said.
“We want to improve our relations with India, if their leadership also wants it. This blame game that whatever goes wrong in Pakistan’s Balochistan is because of India and vice versa brings us back to square one,” he said.
“This is not how we will grow, and it is detrimental to the sub-continent,” he added.
He said good India-Pakistan relations will be beneficial for the entire region and suggested to increase trade ties between the two neighbours.
The India-Pakistan ties nose-dived in recent years with no bilateral talks taking place.
The ties between the two countries had strained after the militant attacks in 2016 and India’s surgical strikes inside Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The sentencing of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to death by a military court in April last year further deteriorated bilateral ties
Khan also said that he was very disappointed with the Indian media which had projected him like a “Bollywood villain” in recent weeks.
On ties with the US, he said Pakistan wants a balanced relations with America which should be mutually beneficial, not one sided.
Additionally, Khan said he and his party wanted stronger ties with both Iran and Saudi Arabia.
“We will strengthen our relations with China. They have provided us an opportunity by investing in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,” he said.
Pakistan can learn from China, which has effectively tackled corruption and also improved people’s lives, he said.
On Afghanistan, Khan said the Afghan people have suffered most in the “war on terror”, and before that in the Afghan jihad.
“Peace in Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan,” he said, adding that he envisions open borders with Afghanistan reminiscent to those within the European Union.
Meawhile, China said that it stands ready to work with the new government of Pakistan to move forward the strategic partnership and hoped that its all-weather friend will maintain political stability.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said that regardless of the result of the election, the development of bilateral ties with Pakistan will not be affected.
“Friendship between China and Pakistan is supported by the people of the two countries. Regardless of the result of the election, the development of bilateral ties will not be affected,” Geng said.
He added that China is glad to see that election in Pakistan went through smoothly.
“We sincerely hope that Pakistan maintains political social stability and focus on development,” he said.
The election in Pakistan marks the second democratic transition of power in the nation’s 70-year history. The military has ruled Pakistan through various coups for nearly half of the country’s history since independence in 1947.
Initial outcomes of poll results show that Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf would emerge as the single largest party in the National Assembly.
‘Pak PM house to be converted into public space’
Imran Khan, who is set to become Pakistan’s premier said that he will not live in the official residence of the prime minister and the “lavish” house will be converted into a public space like an educational institution.
The 65-year-old chief of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party promised to make Pakistan free of the perpetual rich-getting-richer and poor-getting-poorer cycle and said that “change has to come from the top.”
“Our government will decide what we will do with PM House. I would be ashamed to live in such a lavish house. That house will be converted into an educational institution or something of the sort for the welfare of the people,” he said.
“I will live humbly,” he said, promising to end the VIP culture.
“So far we have seen that everyone who comes to power changes. That will not happen with me.”
“I decided to join politics 22 years back when I saw collapse of governance system and corruption in Pakistan,” the cricketer-turned-politician said.
“I want to clarify why I entered politics. Politics could not have given me anything. I wanted Pakistan to become the country that my leader Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had dreamed of,” he said.
The Oxford-educated Pasthun has vowed to make a ‘Naya Pakistan’ which would be an Islamic welfare state.
Will set up Medina-like welfare state in Pakistan
Imran Khan said that he envisioned to set up a Medina-like welfare state which will be sympathetic towards widows and the weaker sections of the society.
“I want to share the kind of Pakistan I envision – the type of state that was established in Madina, where widows and the poor were taken care of,” Khan said.
“My inspiration comes from the last Prophet who set up an ideal welfare state in Medina. I want Pakistan to become like that. A humanistic not an animalistic state,” he said in a speech made from Bani Gala in Islamabad that was broadcast via video link.
“I pledge to our people that I will introduce a system that is for the masses, all policies will be for the people and not for the elite,” he vowed.
Khan said Pakistan was in “shambles” as a state and the country is facing its “biggest challenge” on the economic front.
“We are facing governance and economic challenges. Our economy has never been so abysmal. It’s because institutions have not been doing their jobs,” he said.
“Ours style of governance will be entirely different. The one never seen before. We will work for the betterment of the poor and downtrodden people,” he pledged.
Khan has not officially been declared prime minister yet.
According to results and trends available so far, his party has won 76 seats and is leading in 44 seats, while its main rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was way behind with 65 seats. (PTI)