On May 20, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) presented its agenda for the first 100 days of government — if people of the country elect the party to power.
The ambitious agenda- often mocked by party’s critics- included transformation in governance, revitalisation of economic growth and ensuring the country’s national security.
As PTI emerged victorious in July 25 general elections, people of the country pinned all their hopes in the party’s plan to run the country and their eyes were on the barometer itself set up by the party- the 100-day plan.
In his first speech as country’s premier, Imran Khan made it clear that he will leave no stone unturned to bring the promised reforms and his priorities will be health, education and social reform.
As his government entered its 100th day today, let’s take a look at a few of his successes in these days at the federal level.
A ‘FREE’ PTV
Perhaps the biggest highlight of PTI government’s 100-day performance, the information ministry’s move to free the state-run Pakistan Television and Radio Pakistan from political censorship.
Mocked decades for political censorship and toeing the government’s line, the PTV not only started giving coverage to opposition parties.
Moreover, the state television and radio were allowed to follow and run stories regarding social media trends.
The step, an imaginable move in the past, was praised even by PTI’s worst opponents.
In September, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also announced upgradation of PTV Sports, PTV Home and PTV News II in high-definition within six months.
10 BILLION TREE TSUNAMI
In September, Imran Khan launched a countrywide drive to plant 10 billion trees across the country in five years to counter challenges of global warming and deforestation, the first serious step in this regard.
The first day of the drive was observed as “Plant for Pakistan Day” when around 1.5 million saplings were planned to be planted in a single day across the country.
Ministry of Climate Change later claimed that around 2.5 million saplings were planted against the target of 1.5 million.
A total of 809,822 saplings were planted in Sindh, 278,811 in Punjab, 1,139,400 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 83,800 in Gilgit Baltistan, 30,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 95,000 in Balochistan and 58,000 in Islamabad.
A MUCH NEEDED SHELTER HOME
“70 years, several rulers but for the first time I saw homeless people being treated with respect,” is how a Twitter user described the PTI government’s shelter home project.
Imran Khan laid the foundation of the much needed project “aimed at housing homeless people who usually spend nights on footpaths or other places” on November 10 in Lahore.
“Should we allow our people to live on footpaths. Our government is bringing a first of its kind poverty alleviation package within a week or two in which all relevant departments will work under a single setup to eliminate poverty,” Imran Khan had announced.
“If you read history, it was us, the Muslims who helped homeless people, passengers and provided them shelter and food, now if you go to the Scandinavian countries, you’ll hardly find a homeless person, they have learnt from us and now its our time to learn from them,” the PM had said.
‘NAYA PAKISTAN’ HOUSING PROJECT
Fulfilling one of his major election promises, the PM launched the ‘Naya Pakistan Housing Project’, aimed at building five million low-cost houses for the poor and needy.
As the PM launched the project on October 10, he expressed confidence that the programme would not only help realise the dream of a shelter for the poor but also create employment opportunities. It will also attract local and foreign investment and stimulate about forty related industries.
He announced formation of a Naya Pakistan Housing Authority to serve as one window for all construction related formalities. The authority would be set up in three months and till then a Task Force would look after the housing project.
The public response was so overwhelming that around 0.2 million people almost straight off downloaded forms for ‘Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme’ as soon as they were uploaded on the website of National Database and Regulatory Authority (NADRA).
CLEAN AND GREEN PAKISTAN CAMPAIGN
In October, Imran Khan inaugurated the Clean and Green Pakistan Drive Action Day campaign by planting a tree at a college in Islamabad.
The PM said the cleanliness drive had three aspects, adding that the first aspect of the drive was spreading awareness among people, especially children, about importance of sanitation and thus incorporate a lesson in this regard in school syllabus of grade-1 to 5.
Secondly, he said, the people will be given awareness about dumping sites. He added his government will overcome load-shedding by generating electricity from trash.
The prime minister said there will be contests regarding sanitation at tehsil level every two months and the official concerned would be rewarded or penalized on the basis of the state of cleanliness in their areas.
This is the first of its kind campaign in Pakistan and clearly highlighted the PTI government’s priorities.
Winning the Twitter War with Trump
Imran Khan won the nation’s hearts when he hit back at US President Donald Trump in a series of tweets after the US President claimed that the Pakistan had not done a “damn thing” for America, while defending his administration’s decision to stop hundreds of millions of military aid.
Imran Khan’s remarks were covered and praised not only by the people of the country but also international media.
Khan said that record needed to be “put straight on Mr Trump’s tirade against Pakistan.”
In his tweet, Khan pointed out five stating that “no Pakistani was involved in 9/11 but Pakistan had decided to participate in US’ War on Terror.” He also said that Pakistan had suffered 75,000 casualties in this war and “over $123 billion was lost to economy”, adding that the US “aid” was a “miniscule $20 billion.”
PM Imran noted that tribal areas in the country were “devastated” and that millions of people were “uprooted from their homes” because of the war. “The war drastically impacted lives of ordinary Pakistanis,” he said in his tweet.
“ Pak continues to provide free lines of ground & air communications. Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?” the PM wrote.
As Trump took to Twitter and claimed that he had pointed out Osama bin Laden in his book “just BEFORE” the 9/11 attacks and that his country “of course” should have captured the Al Qaeda leader long before it did, Imran Khan replied that “Pakistan has suffered enough fighting US’s war. Now we will do what is best for our people & our interests”.
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