Imran Khan promises to build Pakistan welfare state, improve foreign policy

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan promises to fix institutions, improve economy and foreign policy in his victory speech on Thursday. (Photo courtesy: PTI official media cell)
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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan promises to fix institutions, improve economy and foreign policy in his victory speech on Thursday. (Photo courtesy: PTI official media cell)
Updated 26 July 2018
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Imran Khan promises to build Pakistan welfare state, improve foreign policy

  • "Pakistan’s relationship with the US should be mutually beneficial ... We will opt for balanced relations with the US," the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman said
  • "Peace in Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan," Khan said in his victory speech

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, in his victory speech on Thursday, said that he will strive to make the country a “welfare state” by introducing reforms in state institutions, as well as improving foreign policy.

“It is my inspiration to help the poor and downtrodden. We will make all our policies for human development,” he said, adding that no country could make progress where policies were made to favor a "small elite."
Calling it a "historic election in Pakistan," the prime minister-in-waiting said that unprecedented participation was seen by the elderly, the disabled, women, and expatriates. He said that "there was terrorism in this election" but people came out in large numbers to "strengthen democracy."
Khan that after a 22-year long struggle, he finally had the chance to implement what he has been advocating.
Talking about issues that would be on his priority list, he said that he would spend public tax money to improve education and health facilities to benefit the poor. Half of Pakistan’s population was living below the poverty line while "45 percent of children have stunted growth," he said.
Khan said that 25 million children were out of school and the female fatality rate during childbirth in Pakistan was one of the highest, adding that all of his policies would be "focused on human development."
He also vowed to root out corruption and improve governance. “The accountability will start from the prime minister and go down to ministers,” he said, adding that the rule of law for all would be ensured.
Khan said that his government would also improve tax culture and expect people to pay taxes as their money would be spent on their betterment.
He said that the country’s economy was in shambles due to "dysfunctional institutions," adding that the trade and economic deficits of Pakistan were the highest in the world and special measures were required to fix the economy.
“Overseas Pakistanis are our biggest asset and we will invite them to invest in Pakistan,” he said, vowing to safeguard the public’s money.
On the foreign policy front, Khan acknowledged that he was confronted with a "very big foreign policy challenge" that he would try to address by improving relations with neighboring and Islamic countries.
"Saudi Arabia is a friend who has always stood by us in difficult times. Our aim will be that whatever we can do for conciliation in the Middle East, we want to play that role. Those tensions, that fight, between neighbors, we will try to bring them together,” he said.
He also vowed to strengthen relations with China as the country had invested billions of dollars in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 
“We want to learn from China, how they brought 700 million people out of poverty ... The other thing we can learn from China is ... the measures they have taken against corruption, how they have arrested more than 400 ministers there,” he said.
Of Afghanistan, he said the Afghans had suffered the most in the war on terror and “peace in Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan.” He said that he would like to see Pakistan have an open border with Afghanistan like the EU.
“Pakistan’s relationship with the US should be mutually beneficial ... up until now, that has been one way. We will opt for balanced relations with the US,” he said.
Khan said that the leadership of Pakistan and India should sit across the table to negotiate core issues, including Kashmir. “We should move forward to end poverty in both the countries,” he said, adding that the Indian media had portrayed him in the past couple of days as the “villain of a Bollywood film.”
He said that trade ties between Pakistan and India would help to improve the economy of both countries and “if India is ready for negotiations, we can move forward.”
Rasul Bukhsh Rais, a political analyst, said that it was a big challenge to improve public services in Pakistan as all institutions were in shambles. “It is for the first time that a prime minister-elect has pledged to improve the public services and let’s see, hope for the best,” he told Arab News.
He said that people had voted Khan to power due to his party’s five-year performance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province during 2013 to 2018. “If sufficient resources are allocated for education and health, and their utilization is properly audited, we will witness a significant improvement in a short span of time,” he said.
Tahir Malik, professor of international relations at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) Islamabad, said that Khan appeared to be ambitious in his speech on foreign policy towards the US and India.
“This is positive but requires a more institutional approach to improve relations with the US and India. Otherwise, it is just rhetoric,” he told Arab News.
Malik said that in today’s world no country could make progress in any field of life without improving its relationship with neighboring countries, especially international powers.
“Let’s hope Imran will use his charisma and personal relations to improve Pakistan’s relations with other countries, especially India and the US,” he said.


Erdogan ally floats Turkiye constitutional amendment to let him extend his tenure

Updated 8 sec ago
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Erdogan ally floats Turkiye constitutional amendment to let him extend his tenure

ANKARA: The main political ally of longstanding Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that a constitutional amendment should be considered to allow the president to run again in elections set for 2028.
After his re-election last year, Erdogan is serving his last term as president unless parliament calls an early election, according to the constitution. He has ruled Turkiye for more than 21 years, first as prime minister and then as president.
“Wouldn’t it be a natural and right choice to have our president elected once again if terror is eradicated, and if a heavy blow is dealt to inflation and Turkiye secures political and economic stability,” said Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is allied with Erdogan’s ruling AK Party (AKP).
A constitutional amendment to secure Erdogan’s ability to re-run in the presidential elections should be considered, he said in a parliamentary speech to MHP lawmakers.
Bahceli, a staunch nationalist, rattled Turkish politics last month by suggesting that the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) could be allowed to speak in parliament if he announces an end to the group’s insurgency.
Some analysts said the shock suggestion might be motivated by an AKP-MHP desire to win the support of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, parliament’s third-biggest, for a constitutional change that could boost Erdogan’s prospects in 2028 elections.
A constitutional change can be put to a referendum if 360 lawmakers in the 600-seat parliament back it. An early election also needs the support of 360 MPs.
AKP and its allies have 321 seats while DEM has 57.


A tiny village in India where Kamala Harris has ancestral roots is praying for her victory

Updated 05 November 2024
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A tiny village in India where Kamala Harris has ancestral roots is praying for her victory

THULASENDRAPURAM: The temple reverberated with rhythmic Sanskrit and Tamil hymns, as a Hindu priest held a flame before the god. As this tiny South Indian village gathered to pray for Kamala Harris, a gaggle of reporters jostled for space and camera angles.
There's little to distinguish the village of Thulasendrapuram from any other rural community in Tamil Nadu, except its connection to a woman who could become America's first leader with South Asian roots.
As millions of Americans vote, Harris has people rooting for her from thousands of miles away in a village surrounded by rice paddies and coconut trees, where her mother's family has ancestral ties. They talk about her at the local tea shop. Banners and billboards bearing her face are seen throughout the community.
“Our deity is a very powerful God. If we pray well to him, he will make her victorious,” said M. Natarajan, the temple priest that led the prayers in front of the image of Hindu deity Ayyanar, a form of Lord Shiva.
Harris’ maternal grandfather was born in the village, about 350 kilometers (215 miles) from the southern coastal city of Chennai, more than 100 years ago. As an adult, he moved to Chennai, where he worked as a high-ranking government official until his retirement.
Harris has never visited Thulasendrapuram and she has no living relatives in the village, but people here still venerate the family that made it big in the U.S.
“Our village ancestors' granddaughter is running as a U.S. presidential candidate. Her victory will be happy news for every one of us,” Natarajan said.
The village's sudden fame has helped bring money into the village. Recently, construction began on a water storage tank with funds donated by a local bank. Village residents say it will carry a plaque with Harris’ name.
Harris’ late mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was born in India. After moving to the U.S. to study, she married a Jamaican man, and they named their daughter Kamala, a Sanskrit word for “lotus flower.”
Other than trips during her childhood, Harris hasn’t visited India much — particularly not since becoming vice president — but she has often spoken emotionally about her ties to her late mother’s country of birth. On Tuesday, she released a campaign video highlighting her mother, who arrived in the U.S. at age 19 and became a cancer researcher.
Titled “Mother,” the video ends with a narrator saying: “This daughter of Shyamala, this daughter of the American story, is ready to lead us forward.”
Harris has often talked about how she was guided by the values of her Indian-born grandfather and mother. She has also spoken of her love of south Indian food, especially a type of steamed rice cake called idli.
Harris’ name is engraved in a list of donors — her aunt Sarala Gopalan gave money to the temple in her name — along with that of her grandfather. Outside, a large banner wishes “the daughter of the land” success in the election.
On Tuesday, the village temple also received rare international visitors: two American tourists and one from the U.K., all wearing black t-shirts that said “Kamala Freakin Harris.”
Manikandan Ganesan, a villager who runs a small store near the temple, said Harris’ bid for the presidency has made the village famous. He hopes Harris will eventually visit them.
“Even if she mentioned that she would visit our village, it would make us very happy,” Ganesan said. “Her victory itself will be a big source of happiness for us.”
Village residents also prayed for Harris’ victory in 2020, and set off firecrackers when she became the U.S. Vice President.
For women of the village, the candidate's journey is a source of inspiration.
Local politician Arulmozhi Sudhakar said Harris embodies a significant step toward female empowerment in places like Thulasendrapuram, where a majority of women continue to face discrimination and gender inequality.
“From the time when women were not even allowed to step out of their house, to now a woman from our village contesting in the U.S. presidential election — this brings happiness for us,” Sudhakar said. “The coming generations will see her as a role model to succeed in life.”

Ukraine’s military says it shot down 48 drones and two missiles overnight

Updated 05 November 2024
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Ukraine’s military says it shot down 48 drones and two missiles overnight

KYIV: The Ukrainian military said on Tuesday it shot down 48 out of 79 drones and two missiles launched by Russia overnight.
The air force said the location of 30 other drones had been lost, while another had returned to Russia.


India foreign minister says vandalism of Hindu temples deeply concerning

Updated 05 November 2024
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India foreign minister says vandalism of Hindu temples deeply concerning

  • Vandalism incident happened weeks after Ottawa expelled six Indian diplomats, linking them to killing of Sikh separatist leader in 2023 
  • Canada has accused India of conducting a broad campaign against South Asian dissidents in Canada, which New Delhi denies 

SYDNEY: India foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Tuesday the vandalism of a Hindu temple in Canada on Monday was deeply concerning.
“What happened yesterday at the Hindu temple in Canada was obviously deeply concerning,” he told reporters in the Australian capital Canberra while on an official visit.
The incident happened weeks after Ottawa expelled six Indian diplomats, linking them to the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in 2023 in Canada. Canada has accused the Indian government of conducting a broad campaign against South Asian dissidents in Canada, which New Delhi denies.
The incident has increased tensions between Canada and India, and between Sikh separatists and Indian diplomats.
Two Hindu temples were also vandalized in Canberra last month, which Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said was upsetting for members of the Indian community.
“People across Australia have a right to be safe and respected, people also have a right to peaceful protest, people have a right to express their views peacefully,” she told reporters.
“We draw a line between that and violence, incitement of hatred or vandalism,” she added.
Wong said Australia had expressed its views to India about Canada’s allegations over the targeting of Sikh separatists, and Canberra respected Canada’s judicial process. Jaishankar said it was unacceptable that Indian diplomats had been placed under surveillance by Canada.
“Canada has developed a pattern of making allegations without providing specifics,” he said.


India foreign minister says vandalism of Hindu temples deeply concerning

Updated 05 November 2024
Follow

India foreign minister says vandalism of Hindu temples deeply concerning

  • Canada has accused the Indian government of conducting a broad campaign against South Asian dissidents in Canada, which New Delhi denies

SYDNEY: India foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Tuesday the vandalism of a Hindu temple in Canada on Monday was deeply concerning.
“What happened yesterday at the Hindu temple in Canada was obviously deeply concerning,” he told reporters in the Australian capital Canberra while on an official visit.
The incident happened weeks after Ottawa expelled six Indian diplomats, linking them to the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in 2023 in Canada. Canada has accused the Indian government of conducting a broad campaign against South Asian dissidents in Canada, which New Delhi denies.
The incident has increased tensions between Canada and India, and between Sikh separatists and Indian diplomats.
Two Hindu temples were also vandalized in Canberra last month, which Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said was upsetting for members of the Indian community.
“People across Australia have a right to be safe and respected, people also have a right to peaceful protest, people have a right to express their views peacefully,” she told reporters.
“We draw a line between that and violence, incitement of hatred or vandalism,” she added.
Wong said Australia had expressed its views to India about Canada’s allegations over the targeting of Sikh separatists, and Canberra respected Canada’s judicial process. Jaishankar said it was unacceptable that Indian diplomats had been placed under surveillance by Canada.
“Canada has developed a pattern of making allegations without providing specifics,” he said.