I will build a nation, not roads, says Imran

• PTI chief says will unite the nation, invest five times more in education sector
• Vows to make Pakistan self-sufficient, says would prefer dying to begging around the globe

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has pledged to unite the country as a nation by infusing a spirit of oneness among all provinces if he came to power.

Addressing mammoth rallies in Faisalabad, Chiniot and a Naya Pakistan Convention at Lahore’s Aiwan-e-Iqbal on Sunday, Khan said a “country can only achieve greatness when it unites”.

Khan stressed the need to ensure peace and justice in society which were hallmarks of the Islamic welfare state founded by Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

He said the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia had embraced Islam due to the character of Muslim traders who were the embodiment of peace, justice, truth and righteousness.

Khan lamented that Pakistan was caught in the whirlwind of unemployment, energy crisis and economic challenges despite the fact that it was full of natural resources and had one of the best fertile lands in the world.

He said the people would reject the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and his party would win the elections with majority.

He said those who could not bring any change in the life of the people despite getting numerous chances to rule the country would be rejected by the masses.

The PTI chief said the people were aware that those claiming to be “experienced and honest politicians” had in fact introduced a culture of corruption, nepotism and favoritism.

Khan said PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif claimed to introduce bullet train and motorways to bring all major cities nearer through road links clearly indicated that Nawaz had a short sighted vision and was incapable to bring about any visible change in lives of the people.

“I know how to uplift the image of Pakistani nation and after coming to power I will make the nation great and par with developed countries,” he added.

“Pakistan can attain a dream of progress and prosperity by promoting education and we will enhance budget of the education sector by five hundred percent and impose an emergency in the education sector,” Khan said.

“The people who want to bring about a qualitative change in their lives and to see a bright and ‘new Pakistan’ as an Islamic welfare state will surely vote the PTI with whole heartedly on May 11,” he said.

“The people of Pakistan have already expressed their will in favour of the PTI and the entire nation is all set to celebrate victory,” he added.

The PTI chairman said Pakistan had the largest coal reserves in the world besides other natural resources such as natural gas, adding that the country could generate 50,000MW of electricity.

Regretting the economic the country’s condition, he said Pakistan was once an economic giant and South Korea and Malaysia followed it economic models to achieve success.

Attributing the economic woes to corruption and injustice, the PTI chairman pledged that he would root out corruption and energy crisis within a year if voted to power.

He assured the cheering crowds that the PTI would establish rule of law and good governance in the country without discrimination.

Khan said the PTI would invite thousands of successful expatriates to return to put the country back on the path to success.

“Thousands of engineers, businessmen, entrepreneurs and technocrats want to return to Pakistan if writ of justice is established in the country,” he said.

Addressing the rally in Chiniot, the PTI chief said if elected, his party would transform Pakistan into a self-sufficient country by salvaging it from alms and debts.

“Nobody can fool anyone in this age of social media,” said Khan, adding that the youth had decided to bring a change in the country and would not back down now.