Opp begging army to send me packing: PM.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said the opposition is poised to topple the PTI government unless their leaders are given an NRO.

"These self-proclaimed democrats are calling on the military to overthrow the government. Their [the Opposition's] goal is to protect their interests and they are willing to do anything to overthrow the government because they have billions of dollars," Imran Khan said while addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of Lodhran-Multan road. "From day one, the PTI government faced criticism from the opposition. My own people had to face a tough time. The media also gave an impression that Naya Pakistan can emerge by switching a button on," he said.

Imran Khan said that within days of assuming the government, the opposition and media started questioning Naya Pakistan phenomena and also made notions about the government's failure. "However, country's economic turnaround has brought down the curtains on bad days and has heralded the time for economic growth, wealth creation and jobs for youth," he said. "I believe we have gone through the worst time. Insha Allah (God willing), in the coming days, Pakistan's growth will not be turbulent with up and down cycles. Pakistan will start its journey from when it was fourth largest economy in Asia in 1968 after Japan, China and India," he said.

The prime minister said the incumbent government has constructed three times more road comparing the previous one which used to be known only for constructing the roads. He said it always took time to change the status quo as the mafias resist any movement of change to protect their interests. He said rule of law is the only factor behind the nations' success as all the developed countries have no room for mafias and everyone is accountable before law.

He said Pakistan sailed through the Covid-19 pandemic owing to the government's prudent policies contrary to India, despite the fact that both the countries had almost identical population density and weather conditions. He said government took a year to stabilize the economy and in second year it was hit by pandemic but it managed well by maintaining a balance between the lives and livelihood. Now, the prime minster said, as the economy has made a turnaround, the government is focusing the agriculture sector by ensuing timely and reasonable payments of crops to the farmers who also got bumper crop this year. Moreover, the...