PM said that the idea of “Madina state” greater than making Pakistan “Asian Tiger”. As it will fulfill all basic responsibilities of its citizens.
“Today, the Punjab government took such a step to put the country on the course of uplifting this nation. We want to make Pakistan for which it was established. If we don’t opt that course, it will be great treachery with the Indian Muslims who had voted for it,” he remarked.
He said some leaders in the past claimed to make Pakistan an Asian Tiger which could in no way be greater than the idea of a welfare state like Madina. Citing the State of Madina as the first welfare state which fulfilled all basic responsibilities of its citizens, the prime minister said unfortunately, no such state was found in the Muslim world. The Scandinavian states, however, were close to that model. Naming Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the prime minister said that these countries did not have more resources than Pakistan but they were more prosperous by having adopted the model of a welfare state.
“A welfare state always believed in inclusive growth and had compassion for the weaker segment. Any individual or nation abiding by the teachings of Allah Almighty would get His blessings”, he observed. The prime minister told the gathering that the time would prove that the initiative of Sehat Card, involving almost equal funding, would have far better outcomes than the Metro Buses or Orange Train.
He said all families across the province would get the Sehat Card by March and also resolved to replicate the model in Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. The prime minister said the Sehat Card would lead towards the development of health infrastructure across the province as it would attract the private sector to build hospitals even in remote areas. He said the government would close down the government hospitals in far-flung areas where the doctors did not want to be posted, to save the cost. He said the government would incentivize the private sector by allowing duty-free import of their equipment to expand the network of private hospitals.
