Pakistan: Imran says will live humbly, not in official PM-residence
What's the story
Imran Khan, who is set to become Pakistan's premier, yesterday said he will not live in the official residence of the Prime Minister and the lavish house will be converted into a public space like an educational institution. The 65-year-old cricketer-turned-politician promised to make Pakistan free of the perpetual rich-getting-richer and poor-getting-poorer cycle and said that "change has to come from the top".
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Official residence would be used for welfare of people
"Our government will decide what we will do with PM House. I would be ashamed to live in such a lavish house. That house will be converted into an educational institution or something of the sort for the welfare of the people," Imran said.
Ending VIP culture
Imran promises to end the VIP culture
"I will live humbly," Imran said, promising to end the VIP culture. "So far we have seen that everyone who comes to power changes. That will not happen with me, " the chief of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party promised. "I decided to join politics 22 years back when I saw collapse of governance system and corruption in Pakistan," he said.
'Naya Pakistan'
Imran says he wants to follow the lead of Jinnah
"I want to clarify why I entered politics. Politics could not have given me anything. I wanted Pakistan to become the country that my leader Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had dreamed of," Imran said. The Oxford-educated Pashtun, who is believed to have the backing of the powerful military, has vowed to make a "Naya Pakistan" which would be an Islamic welfare state.