Imran Khan announces to contest elections from Karachi

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Saturday announced to contest 2018 general elections from Karachi, ARY News reported.

Speaking to party workers and supporters during a rally in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area, Imran Khan not only announced to contest polls from the mega-city but also presented a 10-point agenda for development of the country’s financial hub.

Among his 10 points, first was to change the administrative system of the city to provide adequate water to its residents.

The second and third points were regarding bringing in health and education reforms. He promised to reform educational institutions on the same footing as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa “where a large number of people have enrolled their children in government schools”.

The fourth point dealt with reforming the police and depoliticising the law enforcement agency to get rid of “encounter specialists” like Rao Anwar.

“We will help the trade fraternity and introduce a climate for the businessmen in Karachi to compete with traders of other countries,” said the PTI chief while narrating his fifth point.

Pointing to the persisting power crisis in Karachi, Imran Khan said that his sixth point deals with the issue and promised that his “government” will not blame the K-Electric but will play its due role in resolving the issue.

He promised revolutionary sports facilities and establishment of parks and stadiums for sportsmen belonging to Karachi as his seventh point.

“We will turn entire Pakistan green, including Karachi. Especially in cities, we will grow trees in same way we did in the billion tree tsunami in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said while giving his eighth point.

Imran Khan said his party would improve the transport system in the city as it needs projects like Orange Line train of Lahore.

His 10th and last point dealt with the unemployment issue in Karachi as he promised to rid Karachi of “unemployment disease” with establishment of skill centres and improving the hiring system in government departments.

Imran Khan heavily criticised Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) for “ruining Karachi despite jointly ruling the city and the province for years”.

He blamed the two parties for encouraging corruption, “politics of hatred” and promoting lawlessness for their political benefits and vowed to undo the damage done to country’s financial hub if elected to power.