Review 2020: Pakistan's success story with PM Imran Khan

Dunya News

Review 2020: Pakistan's success story with PM Imran Khan

(APP) - Year 2020 has known to be a tale of challenges globally, but for Pakistan, it has proved as a “story of success and development” even during the coronavirus pandemic.

The government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has handled the economic impact of pandemic with effective strategies and emerged successful during tough times.

For PM Khan, the year 2020 narrates a journey of stable economy, numerous development and welfare projects, and remarkable achievements at foreign policy front.

Following is the outline of significant milestones achieved by the government during 2020 along with a set of the Prime Minister’s New Year resolutions for year 2021:

Covid Resposne

1. 1st ever NSC meeting on Public Health
2. NCOC formed to serve as nerve centre
3. Rs. 1.2 trillion COVID Relief Package, Rs. 180 billion disbursed through Ehsaas Emergency Cash, multiple other economic stimulus measures
4. Smart lockdown
5. Construction Industry Package to ensure employment for daily wagers
7. Response acknowledged by WHO as one of the best

Welfare State/Riyasat-e-Madina

1. Ehsaas Kafaalat, – One Woman One Account( 7 million families to benefit) – Special Persons (2 million families to benefit)
2. Ehsaas Amdan Program
3. Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarships distribution
4. Ehsaas Nashonuma to fight stunted growth
5. Rs. 180 billion disbursed during COVID to 15 million families transparently

Health

1. Sehat Sahulat Card (Rs. 10 lac/year health coverage for every family, can be availed at both public and private hospitals) for entire Punjab (end of year 2021), entire KP including ex-FATA merged districts (end of Jan 2021), entire AJK & GB. Also for Police, Lawyers, Transgenders etc.
2. Indigenous production of medical equipment including ventilators and cardiac stents launched
3. Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre (IHITC) inaugurated in Islamabad
4. Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar – Medical, Surgical and Allied Services Block inaugurated
5. DHQ Hafizabad groundbreaking
6. DHQ Chakwal groundbreaking
7. 250-bed Peshawar Institute of Cardiology inaugurated

Education

1. Single National Curriculum finalised
2. University of Hafizabad groundbreaking
3. University of Chakwal groundbreaking
4. Pak-Austria Facchochschule Institute inaugurated in Haripur
5. Namal Knowledge City Phase 1 groundbreaking
6. Sialkot University of Applied Engineering and Technology groundbreaking
7. SNC to be completely rolled out by 2023.

Climate

1. Largest forest of Pakistan in Kundian, Mianwali launched with 250 million trees target
2. Green Stimulus Package to provide employment and combat climate change as well
3. Monsoon Tree Plantation campaign
3. Largest tree plantation drive in Pakistan’s history – 3.5 million trees planted on August 9th
4. Billion Tree Honey Initiative
5. Protected Areas Initiative
6. Clean Green Index awards
7. Travel Responsibly for Eco-tourism in KP (TREK) Initiative launched
8. Locust Crisis tackled successfully
9. UN biodiversity Summit, Austrian World Summit & Climate Ambition Summit addressed by PM Imran Khan

Development Projects

1. Naya Pakistan Housing 20000 housing units worth Rs. 100 bn inaugurated by PM Imran Khan
2. Allama Iqbal Industrial City Faisalabad groundbreaking
3. BRT inauguration
4. Karachi Transformation Plan – Karachi Package
5. Ravi Urban Development Project
6. 5 decades after Mangla and Tarbela, construction for 2 large dams, Diamer-Basha and Mohmand, is well underway
7. Azad Pattan and Kohala Hydropower Projects
8. Mohmand – Sheikh Zayed Road inaugurated
9. Special Economic Zones initiated under CPEC
10. Quaid-e-Azam Business Park Sheikhupura
11. Balochistan & Sindh High Speed Broadband Project
12. Chakwal Northern Bypass

Economy

Current Account Balance (Jul-Nov)
$1.6 billion SURPLUS (FY21)
$7.2 billion DEFICIT (FY18)
Remittances (Jul-Nov)
$11.8 billion 27% increase
Exports (Jul-Dec)
$12.1 billion 5% increase
Large Scale Manufacturing (July-Oct)
6.7% increase
Foreign Exchange Reserves crossed $13 billion, highest since February 2018
Textile industry operating at full capacity, 80,000 power looms opened (50,000 old re-opened, 30,000 new ones). Cement industry operating at full capacity, witnessing record orders. Vehicle, motorbikes, rickshaw sales rising. Tax revenue rising. Energy Relief Package for industries to encourage exports for sustainable economic growth.

Foreign Policy

1. Qatar visit by PM
2. Malaysia visit by PM
3. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visit to Pak
4. UNGA President Volkan Bozkir visit to Pak
5. PM Imran Khan’s maiden visit to Kabul
6. Continued role in Afghan Peace Process, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar visit to Pak, Taliban Political Commission visit to Pak, Abdullah Abdullah visit to Pak
9. UNGA address by PM & multiple sidelines events on Climate, Money Laundering and COVID
10. Pakistan’s re-election to UNHRC

Kashmir

1. Feb 5 – Kashmir Solidarity Day
2. Jul 13 – Kashmir Martyrs Day
3. Aug 5 – Kashmir Youm-e-Istehsaal
4. Oct 27 – Kashmir Black Day
5. Kashmir Legislative Assembly Addressed by PM Imran Khan twice

Other notable developments

1. Legislation against money laundering, terrorism and sex crimes.
2. PM Imran Khan’s Policy Announcement to conduct Senate Elections through open ballot and next General Elections via e-voting.
3. PM Imran Khan announcement of provisional provincial status for Gilgit-Baltistan

PM Imran Khan’s New Year Resolutions/Targets for 2021

1. Universal health coverage for all citizens through Sehat Sahulat Program
2. No Pakistani should go to bed hungry (“Koi Pakistani bhooka na soye”) New project to be launched soon under Ehsaas Program.