By-election to be held if opposition MPs resign: Khan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the government will hold by-elections on vacant seats if opposition lawmakers resign from the National Assembly.
Talking to journalists in the federal capital on Tuesday, the Prime Minister reiterated that he would not give any NRO-like (national reconciliation ordinance) concession to corrupt opposition leaders and will hold by-elections on seats vacated by opposition lawmakers.
Imran Khan said that he will betray the country if he grants NRO to corrupt opposition leaders. “I will leave my post but will never betray the country by granting an NRO to opposition leaders,” he again made it clear.
The Premier once again ruled out a complete lockdown in the country in view of rising Covid-19 infections in the second coronavirus wave. He said: “Pakistan cannot afford a second lockdown as it will destroy our economy completely.”
Continuing his tirade against opposition parties, he said they are spreading the coronavirus by holding rallies. They are resorting to public meetings in order to hide their corruption, the prime minister maintained.
“Opposition is playing with the lives of people by holding rallies amid Covid second wave. The government can sit and talk with the opposition on every issue apart from the NRO matter. They [Opposition] will end their protest movement today if I accept their illegal demands,” said the prime minister.
Responding to a question, Imran Khan further said that the opposition wants a confrontation with the government, adding that the government will not create any hurdles in the way of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders, but warned strict action against violators of Covid-19 SOPs.
Speaking over local bodies election, the PM said that his government will hold LG polls after Senate elections in March. “Local government polls were delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic, but the government will hold it after the Senate election in March next year,” added the Prime Minister.
Replying to another question, Prime Minister Khan said that there is no pressure on him to recognise Israel, adding that Pakistan has good relations with UAE and Saudi Arabia. He expressed regret over the delay in bringing reforms in all national institutions. TLTP
Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Ehsaas Programme is pivotal to alleviate poverty and turn Pakistan into a welfare state. He was talking to Special Assistant for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Dr Sania Nishtar in Islamabad on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister appreciated the initiatives taken under the umbrella of Ehsaas program.
The Special Assistant briefed the Prime Minister regarding payments being made under Kafalat Program and other projects.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan attaches great importance to the success of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and reaffirms its commitment to the objectives and purposes of its charter.
In his message on the 36th SAARC Charter Day, the Prime Minister said, “On behalf of the people and the government of Pakistan, I wish to felicitate the governments and the citizens of the member states of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as we commemorate the 36th SAARC Charter Day.”
He said that the true potential of SAARC can be exploited by adhering to the principles of sovereign equality and mutual respect among the member states.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan’s pivotal geo-economic location offers a great opportunity for the region. He said that his government’s vision for Pakistan is to leverage its location to act as a trade and transit hub to benefit the peoples of the region and beyond.
“It is unfortunate that due to long standing unresolved disputes amongst the Member States, the SAARC countries have been unable to take advantage of Pakistan’s potential as a melting pot for positive economic interest and consequently the region has not been able to achieve the desired socio-economic cooperation and prosperity in the region so far. I hope that the SAARC process would be allowed to move ahead without artificial obstacles being erected in its progress and SAARC would be enabled to function as an effective instrument of regional cooperation.”
Referring to Covid-19, Imran Khan said that it has further underscored the importance of poverty alleviation for the national governments in a region that is home to one of the world’s largest poor populations and remains one of the least integrated globally. He said, “Now is the time to pool our resources rather than looking inwards for providing a better future to the vulnerable segments of our societies.”
The Prime Minister said the SAARC Charter was envisioned to promote regional cooperation and to accelerate the pace of social and economic development in South Asia. The Association encapsulates the hopes and aspirations of one fifth of humanity. It symbolises the hope that the challenges faced by the region can be overcome through regional cooperation, he added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said the country will soon have two new big dams, five decades after the construction of Tarbela and Mangla dams.
The Prime Minister posted a video of the under-construction Mohmand dam on his official Twitter account. The video showed the progress of construction and various side projects. “After Mangla & Tarbela, five decades later Pakistan is going to have two big water dams, Mohmand and Bhasha,” he tweeted.
Mohmand Dam will generate 800 megawatts of hydroelectricity, irrigate over 16,000 acres of land and heavily contribute to the socio-economic uplift of the region.
On February 16, it was reported that construction work on the multi-purpose Mohmand dam and hydropower project is being carried out day and night and the project is going ahead at a good pace.
On June 25, contractors of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam had started mobilising to the project site to start the construction, the participants of a meeting held at the Wapda Complex were informed.
The two new dams, due to be completed in a few years, will increase water storage in the country and all mitigate flood downstream. – TLTP