- PM Khan promises to provide nationality to all those born in Pakistan
- Chairs key meetings during maiden visit to Karachi
KARACHI: With an aim to transform the underclass into the upper class, Prime Minister Imran Khan promised on Sunday that his administration would ensure rights for all Afghans and Bengalis born in the country by granting them a citizenship status.
“Over 0.25 million Bengalis and a large number of Afghanis are living here. Since they have been denied Pakistan’s national identity cards despite being born here, they are unable to find good jobs and are forced to live on meager wages,” Khan said during his day-long, maiden visit to Karachi.
Citing the US as an example of a country that accords nationality to anyone born in the country, Khan said: “We will also give nationality to those who were born in Pakistan. We will try to transform the underclass into upper class.”
Addressing a fundraiser for the construction of the Diamer Basha and Mohmand dams, the prime minister said that maintenance of law and order was the government’s top priority for Karachi, reasoning that a country devoid of peace and stability can never realize its true economic potential.
He added that while target killings had seen a significant decrease in the metropolis, street crimes continued to be on the rise due to the “the economic underclass” in Pakistan’s biggest and most densely populated city of Karachi.
He began his trip with a visit to Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s mausoleum, doing away with heavy criticism — for not paying homage to the country’s founding father — after taking the oath of office. He laid a floral wreath on Jinnah’s grave and registered his comments in the visitors’ book, before visiting the tombs of Fatima Jinnah, Jinnah’s sister and Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Later, Khan chaired a series of high-level meetings to understand issues pertaining to the law and order in the country. He expressed concerns over reports detailing a hike in street crime and called for coordinated efforts to purge Karachi of criminal elements. He also objected to an increase in the number of children being abducted in the provincial capital, seeking solutions for the same.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan stated that the federal government will continue to offer full support to the provincial government for law and order maintenance,” a statement issued by the Press Information Department said.
The meeting was attended by Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Sindh’s Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, DG Rangers Maj. General Muhammad Saeed and a coterie of other officials.
In a separate meeting, after being apprised of the development projects in the city, Khan expressed serious concerns over the scarcity of water in the metropolis and urged for better coordination between federal and provincial governments for co-funded projects.