No corrupt person will be let go, vows PM Khan

–Warns Opp parties that no corrupt person will get ‘NRO’, says corruption hindering Pakistan’s progress 

–Congratulates nation over Saudi Arabia’s $6 billion rescue package but hints at still seeking IMF bailout

–PM Khan says govt also in talks with other friendly countries to take loans in order to lessen burden on masses

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that not a single corrupt person will be let go as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has no plans of offering a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to drop the graft cases on politicians.

During his televised address to the nation to convey the steps taken by his government to tackle the economic hardships faced by the country, the prime minister lashed out at the previous governments for raising Pakistan’s debt from Rs6 trillion to Rs30 trillion in the last 10 years alone.

He also referred to the developing alliance between the opposition parties against his government. In a reference to the PPP and PML-N, PM Khan said the opposition parties that are accusing his government of ‘incompetence’ are doing so because they fear that “their corruption will be unearthed when we do an audit of the Rs30 trillion”.

PM Khan stated said those criticising the current government are the ones who burdened the country’s economy with their ill economic planning and corruption. He said those elements are trying to raise hue and cry as they are afraid of their accountability.

He warned that there will be no NRO for anyone. He said no corrupt will be spared, as he had promised to the nation in his election campaign. He said unless corrupt people are nabbed, the financial future of the country will remain bleak.

PM Khan said, “All the corrupt have gathered against the government.”

“I will not spare any corrupt person… I will put them in jails,” he said.

PM Khan said the unearthing of accounts with exorbitant sums on the names of ordinary people gives the sense of foul play by some people.

He said the cycle of taking loans and then to pass on the burden to masses will be broken.

He said the audit is being made of the previous loans to ascertain the facts.

IMF BAILOUT STILL LIKELY:

PM Khan started his address by congratulating the nation over Saudi Arabia’s $6 billion rescue package amid the economic crisis, but said that the country may still seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and help from other friendly states.

The premier said the Saudi package will not only give breathing space but also enable Pakistan to bargain with the Fund and get leniency in their terms.

Apart from the IMF bailout, he said, the government has made a strategy to ask the friendly countries to take loans from them in order to reduce the burden on people.

“The government is also in talks with other friendly countries and hopefully, there will be a positive response from them too,” PM Khan hoped.

The premier said that the new government faced an immediate burden of paying the installments of debt. He said, “Had we gone to the IMF immediately, it would have hurt the nation as fulfilling their hard terms requires passing on the burden on the masses.”

Earlier, a Finance Ministry official told Reuters that Pakistan still plans to seek a bailout from the Fund despite Saudi Arabia agreeing to deposit $3 billion in national exchequer as a balance of payment support and oil worth $3 billion on deferred payment.

“Yes, We are going ahead into programme negotiations with [IMF] in the first week of November,” Noor Ahmed, spokesman for Pakistan’s finance ministry, said in a text message to Reuters.

Meanwhile, the prime minister said the PTI government wants to play the role of a mediator in the Yemen conflict. He said Pakistan will try to bring Muslim countries together by helping to resolve their conflicts.

ONE-WINDOW OPERATIONS:

The government is making efforts to stop the illegal outflow of money, the premier said, adding that an investment-friendly environment will be created with “one-window operations”. He said the government has also facilitated a mechanism for foreign remittances.

PM Khan further said that he will himself oversee the mega-project of five million houses. He said forty countries are directly associated with the housing sector and will provide employment opportunities to the youth.

He said a special package will be announced in the coming days to help uplift the socio-economic conditions of people with lower-income backgrounds.

The prime minister requested the nation to be patient “in this difficult exercise as the future holds a prosperous and developed Pakistan.”

He said Pakistan is endowed with immense resources and potential, adding that it will make progress at a rapid pace once corruption is curtailed.

He went on to promise that the PTI government will create an investor-enabling Pakistan “where people from other countries will come to invest in the country.” He said the government’s objective is to create such an environment where it would grant loans to other countries for their development.