ISLAMABAD: In his maiden address as prime minister, Imran Khan labelled lavish lifestyles of Pakistan’s ruling elite as “colonial-era mindset” before announcing to ditch Prime Minister House for a three-bedroom home assigned to military secretary, reported Reuters.
PM Imran plans to have only two servants instead of 524 reserved for a sitting premier. He also announced plans to sell a fleet of bullet-proof vehicles to help Treasury shortfalls, a bold move in a country where militants still pose a threat.
“I want to tell my people, I will live a simple life, I will save your money,” he said.
The former cricket legend was sworn in as prime minister on Saturday after his party swept to power in last month’s election. A firebrand populist, PM Imran’s appeal has soared in recent years on the back of his anti-corruption drive, which has resonated with young voters and the expanding middle class in the mainly-Muslim nation of 208 million people.
But he has inherited a host of problems at home and abroad, including a brewing currency crisis and fraying relations with historic ally, the United States.
The 65-year-old did not shed any light on policy plans to deal with the currency woes that analysts expect will force Pakistan to seek another International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. Instead, Khan focused on debt and said former central bank governor Ishrat Husain would lead a task-force to drive austerity.
PM Imran appealed to expats to invest in the country and urged the wealthy to start paying taxes, a perennial problem in a nation famous for tax dodging and where less than 1 percent of the population files income tax. “It is your responsibility to pay taxes,” said Khan. “Think of this as a jihad (holy war), that you need to pay tax for the betterment of your country.”
The cricketer-turned-politician said Pakistan was in grave danger from the effects of climate change and promised to reduce some of the world’s highest maternal death rates and infant mortality rates. He also spoke passionately about the need to help 22.8 million out-of-school Pakistani children in a nation where the literacy rate hovers above 40 per cent.
PM Imran, who has never held a government position, named his 21-person cabinet over the weekend, opting mostly for experienced politicians. Opponents criticised the choices, saying about half of the cabinet had served under the former military ruler general (R) Pervez Musharraf and were part of the old guard. On Sunday, Khan announced he will oversee the interior ministry.
A former playboy of the London social scene who has since adopted a pious persona, Khan said he wants Pakistan to build a welfare state akin to some found in the West, which he said are modeled on the ideas first voiced by Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in the holy city of Medina.
“I will spend money on those who God has not given enough to,” he said.
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