‘Fight against corruption to replace war on terror’

ISLAMABAD – Announcing 100-day plan of action to meet economic, social and governance needs, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan declared on Saturday that the PTI would withdraw from the US-led war on terror and would declare war against corruption.
Addressing a press conference to announce the salient features of the 100-day plan prepared by PTI experts, Khan said unlike other political parties, who relied on empty rhetoric, the PTI prepared a 100-day plan of action with specific steps backed by a detailed cost and revenue plan within a timeframe. He said a team of experts spent over a year and prepared the plan adding that it would be formally launched in near future.
The PTI chief said the plan had a number of strategic levels of implementation. In the first 100 days, action would be taken on burning issues such as terrorism, corruption, unemployment and inflation on a priority basis, he said. He said the plan also outlined the medium to long-term strategies of the PTI to meet the economic, social and governance needs of the country.
The PTI chairman announced that the PTI would withdraw from the war on terror and declare war against corruption if it comes to power. He said its counter terror strategy would focus on political approaches with force being the last and least preferred option.
“We would declare an end to all military operations and the withdrawal of troops from Fata with the Frontier Corps taking over the responsibility of law and order. A ‘Grand Peace and Reconciliation Jirga’ would be constituted to bring harmony through reconciliation, he said adding that a commission would be formed to ascertain the human rights violations in Fata and Swat. He added that it would establish the nature and scale of compensation to innocent victims and their relatives. All US bases and intelligence centres would be shut down in three months, he announced. He said the visas of all foreign security operatives would be cancelled and they would be repatriated within a week. He said the drone attacks would be immediately stopped and any breach of country sovereignty would automatically result in blocking of all Nato supplies and an end to all forms of cooperation with the US in its war on terror.
To end prevailing corruption in the country, the PTI leader said the policy framework and direction would include the independent accountability commission to be formed under a new anti-corruption law. He said it would be headed by an individual of impeccable credentials. He said ‘Benami’ accounts and transactions would be banned while all transactions above a certain ceiling would be legal only if the parties are registered as taxpayers.
He said the politicians and government officials having foreign bank accounts or properties abroad would be forced to declare their assets and source of income, failing which, they would be banned from holding public office. “Sugar, cement and fertilizer cartels would be dismantled,” he said.
On economic issues, he said, a Pakistan infrastructure fund would be established to be funded by overseas Pakistanis so as to increase the resource base without conditions.
He, however, declared that indirect taxation would be reduced on fuel and the revenue loss recovered from direct taxation and deficit financing to the tune of Rs 3.0 billion per day, which was the main cause of inflation would be stopped. He said power circular debt would be eliminated and to put an end to ‘Havala’ transactions, foreign exchange rules would be amended.
The PTI Chief Imran Kahn said that austerity measures would be put in place. All special perks and privileges of the President, PM, Ministers, and Parliamentarians would be abolished. On employment generation, he said that major physical infrastructure projects would be initiated to generate employment.
Imran stated that the measures proposed would increase revenue generation would be double in five years by measures to increase and broaden the tax and bring the rich into the tax net. The youth of the country would be involved massively in labour and technology intensive projects.
He further said judicial and police reforms would be instituted to ensure the rule of law. All Judges of the higher courts would be appointed through a Judicial Commission without any involvement of the parliamentarians. All government appointments would be made through restructured public service commissions.
“Non-resident Pakistanis would be actively involved by promoting their economic and technical support in the overall economic restructuring in Pakistan and special tax incentives would be announced for overseas Pakistanis to facilitate their investment in the country, Imran said, adding,” An education emergency would be declared and the allocations for education would be increased at the rate of two percent annually while a process of uniform core curriculum would be initiated.
Chairman PTI said a national energy authority would be established under the Prime Minister.
He said by better management, the control of theft and wastage, and refurbishing of power plants a 50 per cent improvement in efficiency can be attained within the first of the PTI government year in the power sector.