manifesto pmln 2013 - eng

7/29/2019 Manifesto PMLN 2013 - ENG

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Allama Muhammad Iqbal

Quaid Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Are we going to allow ourselves to beoverwhelmed by the immensity o the task that is

conronting us and let our new-born State onderunder the cruel and dastardly blows struck by ourenemies? This is challenge to our very existence

and i we are to survive as a nation and are totranslate our dreams about Pakistan into reality, weshall have to grapple with the problems acing us

with redoubled zeal and energy.

(Address to Civil, Naval, Military and Air Force O cers o Pakistan,

Karachi on October 11, 1947)


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A Personal Message

From

President PML(N)

As the nation prepares to go to the polls, it is o utmost importance thatwe understand the enormity o the multiple challenges conrontingthe nation. It is also o great signicance that the nation recognizesthe instrumental role o Muslim League or overcoming them. It is the

same League that established Pakistan under the leadership o theQuaid-e-Azam in accordance with the vision o Allama Iqbal. It is the sameLeague which built the inrastructural and policy ramework or economicdevelopment in 1990s. The same League that made Pakistan an invinciblenuclear power.


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We are all aware o the enormous damage done to the country in thepast decade at the hands o authoritarian rulers and their inept andcorrupt successors ater 1999. Poor governance, deteriorating lawand order situation, repeated breaches o sovereignty, widespread

corruption, galloping ination, unprecedented load shedding, massiveunemployment and increasing poverty have let the citizens in avicious cycle o pain and suering.

The challenge ahead o us is not only to re-establish the supremacyo law and ensure respect or democratic institutions, but to create asociety that is based on social justice and ensures the well-being o allPakistanis without any discrimination.

My partys maniesto or the coming elections presents acomprehensive, all-embracing agenda or national renewal and realchange. Ours is not an agenda only meant to merely overcome thecurrent crises. We are here to revive the condence o people byinstilling hope and restoring national dignity and laying oundation ora sustainable growth and development.

The maniesto sets out a realistic and sound ramework or pulling backthe nation rom the edge o abyss. This is to be achieved by meanso socio-economic development, generating opportunities and jobs,based on equity, airness and justice, on the oundation o democraticprinciples and above all, o the rule o law.

Pakistan Muslim League (N) is the only political party which has thevision, proven track record, and an experienced and competent team

to ulll the dreams o Pakistans ounding ather. We will do this bybuilding consensus on major national issues and by bringing abouta real change in institutions, political culture and socio-economicconditions o Pakistan. We are also committed to convert Pakistansdiverse cultural and ethnic heritage into its strength by promotinginclusiveness and greater inter-provincial harmony.


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During both its tenures in power, the PML(N) ully demonstrated itsability to make economy the centre piece o its priorities. Essentially,because in the age o geo economics only nations with strong andvibrant economies prosper. PML(N) brought about revolutionary

changes in the national economy, although both its tenures wereinterrupted. In the short period o 2 years rom November 1990 toApril 1993, the Party initiated basic reorms. These reorms transormedthe nature o Pakistans economy rom a closed and over-regulatedsystem to a more open and de-regulated ramework. It brought abouta undamental change in the environment or investment and business.We also achieved notable success in resolving inter-provincial issues.We achieved this milestone by concluding, through consensus, two

historic accords i.e. the Water Accord o March 1991, and the ourthNFC Award o April 1991. A summary o main achievements o PML(N)in both o its tenures is given in the Annexures or the keen readers.

I invite you all to join us in our mission to resurrect Pakistan as aprogressive and prosperous nation. In 21st century, lets spearheadas a moderate and modern welare state with Islamic values whereeveryone can live with equal opportunities, security & dignityregardless o religion, ethnicity, or language. Creating headways inconormity with the hopes and aspirations o our people, lets osterpeace in our lives, in our region and in the comity o nations. It is in thisspirit and in the spirit o our ounding athers, that I entrust you withthis momentous maniesto.

Yours,

(Mohammad Nawaz Shari)President PML(N)

January 5, 2013


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EconomicRevival


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Economic RevivalPakistan today aces enormous economic challenges. PML(N) is ullyaware o the ast declining trends in all macro-economic indicators.

This has been the result o inept ederal government policies over thelast ve years.

The country is currently trapped in a trajectory o low growth combinedwith high ination due to incompetence, poor governance and highlevels o corruption. In terms o GDP growth, this has been the worstve years period in the entire history o Pakistan with a dismal annualaverage growth o 2.9%. In terms o ination, only once in Pakistans

history, we have witnessed a worse double digit inationary spell thanthe present tenure and that was in PPPs rst government rom 1972 to1977. This lethal combination o low growth and high ination has ledto a massive increase in poverty and unemployment.

As in the 1990s, PML(N)s top priority will be the revival o the economyto double the GDP growth rate rom less than 3% in the past ve yearsto over 6% during the next ve years. Economic revival in act holds

the key or achieving other vital economic and social targets listed inthis maniesto.

Sustainable and inclusive economic growth requires:

Optimum utilization o the countrys physical and human resources; Full exploitation o the technological potential in industry and

agriculture. Sound macro-economic policies to reduce decits in the budget

and the balance o payments, curb inationary pressures andreduce countrys dependence on oreign loans and assistance.

Democratic governance which requires supremacy o theconstitution and the rule o law in order to reduce corruption, taxevasion, wasteul expenditure, misuse o power, and meets theaspirations o the people.


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One o the most important pre-requisite or higher GDP growth willbe to raise the investment GDP ratio rom 12% at present to atleast 20% in the next 5 years. This has been a benchmark which wasachieved during the rst tenure o PML(N) in the early 1990s. A balance

will be struck between scal consolidation and growth. Despite theunavorable security and law and order situation, the investmentclimate can signicantly improve with improved governance.

In the absence o single strong driver o growth at present, Pakistanhas to create several mutually reinorcing engines o growth to meetthe emerging economic challenges in this age o globalization. PML(N)will give special priority to the ollowing sectors:

Higher investment in the energy sector as outlined in chapter 2 othis maniesto.

Attracting oreign investment in the agriculture and livestock sectorsto acilitate exports o high value products to regional markets.

Converting at least 50% o the remittances by Overseas Pakistanisinto investments. These remittances currently stand at US$ 13billion a year. We intend to take this progressive initiative by oeringspecial nancial products to Pakistani diaspora. This economic

revival driver will also eature identiying growth prospects in the ITand other employment-oriented schemes will be encouraged.

Large-scale inrastructure projects are catalysts or boosting theeconomy. PML(N) will ocus on motorways, dams, housing projectsand development o new urban centers and cities.

Pakistan holds sizeable reservoirs o oil, gas and other minerals.PML(N) will pursue mineral exploration and abstraction withrenewed vigor while ensuring absolute protection o the interests

o the nation. Foreign investment would be encouraged andacilitated in this sector. Development o this sector will be a gamechanger or Pakistans economy.

A vibrant domestic commerce is a pre-requisite or innovationentrepreneurship, quality assurance and product development. Itstimulates growth in the private sector and positions countries to


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eectively expand into international markets. Domestic commercewill be encouraged by ocusing on areas like competitiveness,protection, market regulation, wholesale markets, retail markets,storage and warehousing, transportation and real estate.

As a part o our economic revival plan, PML(N) is setting the ollowingtargets to be achieved during its tenure:

1. Budget Decit will be brought down to 4%. This will be achievedthrough:a. Increase in revenues. Tax to GDP ratio to increase rom 9% at

present to 15% by the end o 2018.b. One-third reduction in current expenditures other than

salaries, allowances and pensions.c. Losses rom State Enterprises amounting to approx. Rs. 400billion will be reduced through revamping / privatizingthese institutions.

2. Ination will be brought down to single digit in the range o 7 or 8%by:a. Limiting government borrowing.b. Decreasing tax rates.c. Reducing energy shortage and cost o producing energy.d. Lower interest rates through eective monetary policy.e. Removing supply side bottlenecks through increased

agricultural output and reduced wastages.3. Industrial manuacturing will be taken up to 7 or 8%.4. Investment GDP ratio will rise to 20%.

Other initiatives or economic revival would include:

a. Open up markets and encourage regional trade. This will

open up avenues or investment, growth and jobs.b. Large investment in human capital with improved service

delivery in health and education.c. Further reorms in nancial sector and capital markets.d. Improved regulatory environment on national level.e. Focus on youth and women.


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. Reducing bureaucratic procedures to speed up decisionmaking.

PML(N) ully understands the gravity o the present global and nationaleconomic crises and the enormity o the tasks outlined above, butwith clearly dened goals and objectives, strong leadership and highlyproessional team, PML(N) is determined to bring about undamentaland ar reaching reorms and changes in the economic landscape othe country. By completing its unnished agenda o turning Pakistaninto Asias leading economy with high competitiveness, PML(N) willshape a better Pakistan. This is being aimed at, to make Pakistan emergeas one of the top ten economies of the world in the 21st century. Anational economic agenda 2025 shall be developed with consensus

or continuity in economic policies.

Industry and Trade:

Manuacturing is the third important sector o the economy accountingor about 18% o GDP and 13% o total employment. For the economyto grow and provide more jobs, the growth o the manuacturingsector which has declined rom an average o 7% to less than 3% inthe past 5 years must be restored. Closed industries will be revivedthrough appropriate and eective measures. This in turn will requirea major inusion o capital either through oreign direct investmentand domestic resources. We will ensure that ample credit is availableto the private sector, interest rates are conducive borrowing and thereis steady supply o energy to the industrial hubs.

An important element o industrial revival will be the adoption oan export-led growth strategy supported by larger oreign direct

investments. This policy is crucial to the development o the economyand will be pursued vigorously. Pakistan has remained dependenton cotton and textile sectors as its main earner in the internationalmarkets. Without incorporating value addition, technology and IT in ourexport base, we will not be able to achieve the required acceleration inexports. Taris will be reormed to eliminate the anti-export bias.


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Our Industry and Trade policy will ocus on the ollowing:

All exports will be sales tax ree. A Technology Up-gradation Fund will be created in the public

sector to support new investments in priority sectors. Private and public sector organizations will be brought together to

establish an Equity Fund to encourage Pakistani companies to caterto niche markets through acquisitions o overseas brands and / orbrand holding companies.

Reduce the upront cost o investment or prioritized sectors. Industrial parks, both or large and small industries will be developed

and expanded, particularly in the under-developed areas. Clusters will be developed or industries such as gems and jewelry,

leather, garments, ans, cutlery, halal meat, sports goods, urniture,crockery and cooking utensils.

An Export-Import bank (EXIM) will be set up to deal exclusivelywith nances related to the export o capital goods and othermanuactured items, consultancy and technological servicesinvolving deerred payment terms. This bank, like similar banks inother countries, will provide a wide range o services.

Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in Pakistan will be encouraged

to expand their production acilities, not only to cater the Pakistanimarket but also the Central Asian, South Asian and Middle EasternMarkets. Necessary incentives and required inrastructure will beprovided to these Corporations. The incentives will be linked to theow o oreign capital to Pakistan by these companies.

The investment strategy will be ocused on encouraging buyers-driven FDI, under which those investors will be encouraged whoare interested in using Pakistan as a base to manuacture products

or exports where Pakistan has a comparative advantage. SMEs andClusters will be developed in various districts where they will beacilitated through one window operation and through marketingcompanies which will promote their products within and outsidethe country.

Over the past ew years, a number o Regional Trading Arrangements


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(RTAs), Bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) or Unilateral GSP typeprogrammes have emerged. These arrangements place Pakistaniexporters at a disadvantage vis--vis their competitors. Pakistan hasto intensiy participation in regional cooperation orums like SAARC

and ECO, which include ree or preerential trade arrangements. Othertrading partners will also be urged to provide preerential access toPakistani exports through lower or no duties. Our trade negotiationswith international players including World Trade Organization (WTO)will be aimed at establishing a rule based and transparent globaltrading regime. In this way, we will succeed with our Trade not Aidpolicy.

Inrastructure:

PML(N)s preerred policy will be to develop inrastructure projectsthrough private sector on BOO / BOT (Build Own Operate/BuildOperate Transer) basis. In addition to the Public Sector DevelopmentProgram (PSDP), we will encourage inrastructure building andnancing institutions through public-private partnership to expediteinrastructure development. This has always been a hallmark priority

or PML(N). As ar as PSDP is concerned, initially our ocus will be onthe development o the agricultural, industrial, water, power, healthand education sectors o the country. In the last ew years, the ederalgovernment has signicantly cut down its PSDP spending. Cuttingdevelopment spending is, in act, crippling the economy in thelong term. PML(N) will ensure that we do not sacrice our long termgains or the comort o meeting our short term objectives. Cuttingdevelopment spending is not a sustainable way to reduce the decit.

A Bureau o Inrastructure Development (BID) will be established tocoordinate and oversee the programme or private sector participationin inrastructure development and develop nancing schemes. BID willbe a single window or the development o inrastructure projects, andwill provide a mechanism or mobilizing commercial equity and debt


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nancing. An important objective o BID will be to improve transportand communication by constructing national trade corridors andproviding mass transit acilities in all major cities.

In most developed countries, major inrastructure projects have largelybeen developed by provinces and local governments by raising theirown unds. This can be replicated in Pakistan through the issuanceo Provincial and Municipal Inrastructure bonds or project specicbonds in order to develop secondary centers o Industrial activities.Development o well planned urban centers and cities can become amajor engine o growth.

The provincial and local governments will have to improve theirnancial position in order to improve their ratings by internationalcredit rating agencies. Improved rating would enable the provincesto raise unds or major inrastructure development projects such asprovincial highways, bridges, irrigation and power generation systems.It would also enable the local governments to develop municipalservices by constructing ring roads, overhead bridges, underpasses,water supply and sewerage systems.

Creation o Job Opportunities:All inrastructure projects will entail compulsory job creation.Institutions like Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, Micro FinancingInstitutions and National & Provincial Rural Support Programmes willplay a major role in eradicating poverty and creating jobs by expandingtheir operations. We will create incentive programmes or the privatesector to create maximum employment. We will start a especially-

designed employment program that will generate jobs at communityand neighborhood level through special development initiatives.

Housing or Low Income Families:

Special nancial institutions and arrangements will also be made toexpand, in cooperation with the provincial governments, housing


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acilities especially or lower middle income groups. At least 1,000 clusterso 500 houses each or lower income amilies will be developed on apublic private partnership mode, and the industry will be encouragedto expand investment and to provide employment opportunities in

the adjoining areas. The PML(N) would strive to eventually provide ahouse to each Pakistani amily through public-private partnership byexpanding credit acilities or low-income housing and encouragingprovincial governments to provide land or such housing schemes.

Development o the housing sector will also benet a large number oother industries and sub-sectors that provide construction materials.

This will not only bring down the cost o construction, but also

generate employment.

Macro-Economic Stability:

Sustained growth is not possible without macro-economic stability.Currently, central government borrowing rom the commercial as wellas State Bank is at an all time high. By the time the government and thepublic sector enterprises have met their requirements, there is virtuallynothing let or the private sector. In 2011-12, only about 14% o total

credit was provided to the private sector. This in turn has contributedto high scal decit, low levels o investment, and higher dependenceon borrowing. During the past ve years, Pakistan has more thandoubled its debt and the annual debt servicing has crossed Rs. 1,000billion. Pakistans total public debt which was less than Rs. 3,000 billionon 30th June 1999 has increased to over Rs. 13,500 billion by the endo 2012. We will ensure that as a result o sound macro policies, publicdebt remains at sustainable level.

The quasi-scal activity o the government outside the budget hascontributed to a build-up o circular debt in the energy and agriculturecommodity sectors. As a result, the cost o borrowing in the economyhas increased again. This is a counterproductive exercise that willbe stopped. During our second term rom 1997 to 1999, the PML(N)


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successully curtailed the circular debt problem which it inherited romthe previous regime. As substantiated in chapter 2 on Energy, we willcompletely resolve the issue o circular debt.

In order to decrease the scal decit, we will eliminate VIP cultureand launch an austerity drive particularly expenses relating to thePresidency, Prime Minister, Governors and Chie Ministers will besignicantly reduced. With the additional provincial autonomy underthe 18th Amendment and the 7th NFC award, it is important thatprovinces ollow prudent economic policies, particularly with respectto expenditure control and revenue generation. Reducing scaldecit is no more the exclusive domain o the ederal government;

the provinces must contribute their share. More autonomy must beaccompanied with more accountability and responsibility.

Tax Reorms:

The structural drag on Pakistans economy can only be addressedthrough deep seated and institutional reorms. We are aware that theundamental reorms that are required to address the ailing economywould be opposed by powerul interest groups and strong cartels. As

demonstrated in its earlier stints at the ederal level, PML(N) not onlyhas the ability to make these undamental institutional reorms, butalso the political will to conront the strong and powerul interestgroups.

The most important area where undamental and structural reorms arerequired is in the area o taxation. Tax collected by the ederal governmentand provincial governments will ultimately determine the extent o

investment in education, health, housing and inrastructure projects.

When PML(N) government was dismissed in October 1999, tax toGDP ratio was a respectable 13.8 %, which has since declined and ispresently around 9%. The high tax to GDP ratio was achieved in spiteo signicant reduction in personal and corporate income tax rates. Tax


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rules were simplied, taxes made broad-based and the tax machinerymore accountable and loop holes in the system eectively plugged.

Through reorms in FBR and the tax system, we will target to improve

the tax to GDP ratio to 15% by 2018. Inormal economy will be broughtinto tax net. Tax base will be broadened.

We recognize that in order to improve the overall taxation environment,documentation o economy is undamental. Once the documentationprocess is successul, the inormal economy can be brought into thetax net and the tax base rationalized to broaden the tax system.

The basic objective o the Tax Reorm Program o PML(N) will be:a) To tax all income and to achieve greater equity in the tax system by

increasing dependence on direct taxes.b) To broad base the tax system through greater use o an IT data base.c) Reduce Tax evasion by acilitating tax payers compliance, and

where possible, rationalizing tax rates.d) Reorm o tax administration both at the ederal and provincial

levels.

e) An annual tax directory will be published indicating the taxes paidand assessed in the last 3 years.

) No increase in the tax rates. Once the tax system becomes ullyoperational, tax rates will be reduced over a period o time to ensureregional equity and to encourage oreign investment.

g) Provincial governments will be asked to increase their own taxrevenues to increase their contribution in overall taxation.

h) Sales tax to be rationalized by ensuring standard rate or all items

and broadening the scope o sales tax.i) Simpliy the administration o taxes and compliance especially or

small businesses.j) Steps will be taken to ensure elimination o money laundering and

whitening o black money.k) Knowing there are too many ederal and provincial taxes , reduce


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the number o ederal and provincial taxes which will greatly reducethe discretion o the tax ocials.

l) Improve the process o sel-assessment and audit compliance.m) To discourage import o luxury items, a regulatory duty will be

levied on non essential imports.

It is equally important to restore the sacred trust between theGovernment and the tax payers. Unless and until the citizens areconvinced that the taxes they pay will be properly utilized or thebenet o the common man, it will be dicult to achieve Pakistansscal targets and macro-economic stability.

State-owned Enterprises:

Today, several key state-owned institutions like PIA, Railways, PakistanSteel Mills, WAPDA and other institutions are a major drag on Pakistanseconomy. These loss-making entities are presently bleeding to the tuneo Rs. 400 billion per annum. Thereore, reorming these state ownedinstitutions through a combination o privatization and restructuringis undamental. PML(N) government in its two tenures in the 90s haddemonstrated its ability to transorm the loss making institutions. Only

in the banking sector, institutions such as HBL, UBL and National Bankwere completely turned around in less than 2 years between 1997and 1999. Earlier in its rst term, major banks such as MCB & ABL wereprivatized. Today, they are premier banks in Pakistan and contributingbillions towards the national exchequer.

PML(N) will initiate ollowing actions to turn around the loss makingstate enterprises:

Appoint independent and proessional boards who in turnwill appoint competent CEOs o state enterprises. Proessionalcompetence and merit will be the only criteria or appointment oboards and CEOs.

The immediate task o the boards and CEOs will be to managethese corporations eectively and to plug the losses.


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Assign quantiable targets and monitor on regular basis.Perormance evaluation will be carried out on regular basis toensure accountability.

Stop every kind o political intererence in the aairs o these

enterprises. Undertake deep-seated and urgent reorms in the relevant sub-

sectors. Identiy enterprises which need to be privatized and assign targets

to the privatization commission to ensure completion o theprivatization process within the assigned time rame.

Operational standards will be prescribed and complete autonomywill be given to achieve them.

PIA shall be transormed into a protable and reputed airline o theRegion.

There will be special ocus on Pakistan Railways to improve its operations.It has strategic importance as well as avored mode o transportationor the common man and cargo carriages. A ully autonomous boardwill be set up to oversee the working o Railways.

Other Financial Sector Reorms:PML(N) in continuation o ar reaching reorms in the banking sector in1990s will undertake urther reorms in line with current domestic andglobal requirements. At present protability is aected by the higher costo borrowing combined with expensive energy. This inevitably leads toa declining saving rate, which at present is only 10.8%, stied growth, acrumbling manuacturing sector, rising unemployment and poverty. Avibrant nancial sector supported by reorms in the capital market is vital

or the revival o business condence and private investment. With saidreorms resulting into substantial new investment in the corporate sector,it would generate employment in the country.


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Revival o Condence:

One o the most important pre-conditions or economic revival isthe restoration o condence o the business community and other

stakeholders in the uture o the country. To achieve this importantobjective, PML(N) will engage the business community in decisionmaking, ensure steady supply o energy, provide scal incentives toimprove competitiveness, reduce the cost o doing business and accordhigh priority to the export sector and small and medium enterprises inrural areas. The promotion o IT, tourism and other knowledge-basedsub-sectors will be accorded high priority. To ensure closer consultationand cooperation with the business community, various mechanismsand institutions will also be strengthened.

Pakistan will ace extraordinary risks in the coming decade due to theglobal nancial crisis that has plagued the world economy since 2008and the resultant decline in the demand or products that Pakistanexports. These risks are urther compounded by environmental risksassociated with global warming and climate change and societal risksemerging rom the rise o extremism in the Region. PML(N) is ullyaware that hardly any country has ever achieved sustained progress

without internal and external stability. It is, thereore, determined tocreate a secure environment or investment and economic activitiesby minimizing these risks through concerted policies and actions inconsultation with all the stakeholders.

To build condence o private sector, Pakistan Business and EconomicCouncil shall be established, chaired by the Prime Minister, with equalmembership o public and private sector or monitoring perormance

o economy. The Council shall meet every quarter.


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EnergySecurity:

ContinuousAvailabilityand

Afordability


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Energy Security:Continuous Availability and AfordabilityReliable and reasonably priced energy is vital or the economic andsocial development o Pakistan. Yet, ater 65 years o independence,the nation is acing a shortage o over 6,000 MW and at least 40% oPakistans population does not have access to electricity. Those that dohave access only get sporadic supply with requent power outages.

The situation or natural gas is even more worrisome, where only a tho the population has access to piped natural gas, and there are longand sustained periods in winters when gas is not available in manyparts o the country. The curse o load shedding in electricity was alegacy rom the previous dictatorial regime, but load shedding in gashas started under the present government. With current trends thetotal gas production will all rom the present level o around 4,000MMCFD to only 1,000 MMCFD by the year 202425. This will requireimport to cover 8085% o the gas required in the country. Urgentsteps are thereore needed to develop new gas elds and importinrastructure.

Pakistan is blessed with enormous natural energy resources. The TharDesert contains, at 175 billion tons, the worlds th largest coal reserves,enough to uel power plants with 100,000 MW o capacity or over 100years. Pakistan also has proven oil reserves o 300 million barrels, andnatural gas reserves in the deeper layers o existing elds in Baluchistanare reported to be larger than those currently being exploited. Also, isustainably marshaled, our rivers have potential hydropower capacity

o at least 40,000 MW.

Despite all these resources, our energy crisis continues to worsen andhas become an impediment to our economic development and iscausing unbearable suering to the common man. The annual cost oload-shedding was estimated in 2010 at Rs.500 billion (US$ 5 billion),


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a loss o a million jobs and at least US$ 2.8 billion reduction in exports.It will be dicult to identiy another example o collective nationalailure o policies and governance o this magnitude.

In order to understand what has gone wrong, at least ve glaringailures o the present government can be identied:

a) The PPP led coalition has almost doubled electricity prices inthe past our years to eliminate subsidies but because o poorgovernance and inability to improve the eciency o the energysector, the losses have actually increased and the energy crisis hasbecome more serious. Production, transmission and distributionlosses have increased and the distribution companies have

been unable to recover their ull dues (arrears estimated atRs. 499 billion in 2012) or reduce thet o electricity. This has ledto a chronic so called circular debt problem o Rs. 500 billion in2012.

b) The Government has not been able to modernize existingthermal units to improve their generating capacity which waspossible at relatively low cost. Instead, it opted or several highcost rental power projects to add very expensive electricity to

the system.c) There has been virtually no progress in attracting investment in

the energy sector, especially in hydel or coal based projects tocorrect the uel mix.

d) For the rst time, Pakistan has experienced the menace o gasload shedding. Yet the government has neither increased thespeed o gas exploration nor made concrete eorts to importgas.

e) Overall lack o competence and the political will to addressthe suerings o people o Pakistan as reected in politicalappointments instead o merit-based selections in Public SectorEnterprises and the inability to reduce losses and recover arrears.

PML(N) has a clear energy vision to ensure that gas and electricitycan be supplied to all urban and rural consumers continuously at an


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aordable price. We will also ensure that energy resources are allocatedthrough regulated market orces and not or personal nancial gains othe powerul. Large-scale investment in the energy sector can createthousands o new jobs and contribute to social, educational, economic

and industrial development.

This multi-dimensional energy crisis will require eective andsustainable solutions through short-term measures and medium-termplans which must be undertaken in a coordinated manner; not justplan to ll the gap o 6000 MW capacity that exists today, but planor the increased demand that our growing population and growingeconomy will generate. PML(N) will take the ollowing decisive steps to

resolve the energy crisis:1) Creation o a Ministry o Energy and Natural Resources through

the merger o Ministries o Water and Power and Petroleum andNatural Resources.

2) Reorms o National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA):

a) Upront / Feed-in taris or wind, solar, small hydel, andbiomass projects.

b) Mandatory wheeling o electricity by DISCOs and theNTDC.

c) Net metering (sale guarantee) or small producers/consumers.

d) NEPRA determined taris to be the notied taris.e) Deregulating and decentralizing the energy sector by

allowing small power producers to sell power directly toconsumers through the distribution systems o DISCOs.

NEPRA (or regional regulators) to allow and regulateprices.3) Reorms o Distribution Companies (DISCOs):

a) Corporatization and privatization o DISCOs.b) Ending o cross subsidy among DISCOs.c) Transmission and Distribution losses to be progressively


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brought under 10%.d) Collection o electricity bills to be brought as close to

100% o billing as possible.e) Introduction o prepaid billing system to improve bill

collection and reducing bad debts.4) Reorms o Generating Companies (GENCOs):

a) Corporatization and privatization o each GENCO underan independent Board.

b) Retrotting o all equipment to ensure that thermaleciency is raised to the original specication and whererequired converting all simple cycle plants to combinedcycle technology. This will cost US$ 300 to US$ 400

million only but increase production capacity by 600 MW,thus giving more than 3,000 GWh (or 3 billion units) oelectricity at zero marginal cost. Payback period o thisinvestment is about one year.

c) Replacement o all urnace oil boilers by coal red boilers.This will cost around US$ 2 billion (or all GENCOs and IPPsurnace oil red boilers) and again the payback period isless than two years. This will result in substantial reduction

in the cost o energy production even i, at rst, importedcoal is used.

5) Permanent elimination o circular debt.

It is important to understand that what is called circular debt has verylittle circular component and much o the debt is due to system-widelosses incurred by GENCOs and DISCOs. Thereore we will take theollowing immediate measures:

a) Narrowly target tari subsidies only to lieline consumerswho consume up to 100 units per month, and provide orthis subsidy in the ederal budget.

b) Notiy electricity taris according to the average system-wide cost.

c) Power dispatch to be strictly according to plant eciency


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and generation cost.d) Supply gas to all power plants that can run on natural gas

to minimize generation on expensive uels.e) Convert all urnace oil-red power plants to coal-red

boilers. ) Reduce distribution and transmission losses and improvecollection rates.

6) Rationalization o energy taris in line with international pricesacross all uels.

7) Reorms o Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA):a) Blanket ban on the setting up o new CNG stations until

the gas crisis is resolved.b) Priority to public transport in the use o CNG.c) Narrowly targeted subsidy or the poor or natural gas

and LPG.d) Tari rationalization in gas sector.

8) Aggressive wellhead pricing or Oil and Gas explorationcompanies in order to substantially increase production o oiland gas.

9) High priority to import gas through pipelines.10) Expeditious setting up o coal and LNG import terminals, and

coal transportation acilities.

11) Development o Thar coalelds and setting up o at least5,000 MW o new coal red power plants under the IPP modein Sindh. This will both create employment in rural Sindh andhelp solve our energy crisis. The plants to be designed on lignite

quality coal and at rst to be run on imported coal and whenThar coal is available, the plants to be switched to domestic coal.

12) Developing consensus among the various stakeholders toacilitate setting up hydropower projects by the Federal andProvincial Governments. This will augment and conserve ourwater resources and also generate less expensive and clean


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electricity.

13) Developing alternative renewable energy sources, such as solar,wind, bagasse, biogas, and biomass projects, especially or o-grid and micro-grid applications.

14) Setting up national energy eciency standards.

15) Introducing solar-thermal water heaters or domestic andindustrial use.

16) Decentralizing and creating a wholesale market or electricity.

What we envisage is to tackle circular debt and system losses onpriority in order to end load shedding in minimum time and in 5

years there will be a market or wholesale trade o electricity and mostimportantly consumers, using the distribution network o the localDISCOs and the transmission network o the national grid will be ableto buy electricity rom their preerred producer. And once there isenough competition in the market, neither government guaranteesnor government subsidies will be required and prices will start to godown as they have in the mobile telephone market.

These measures will not only solve our lingering energy crisis but alsoshit the ocus o the energy sector rom high cost imported uels toindigenous energy resources and reduce the total energy import billand add at least 3.5% to the annual GDP. At the same time investmento about US$ 20 billion to generate 10,000 MW o electricity in the next5 years will stimulate overall growth o the economy.


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Agricultureand Food

Security


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Agriculture and Food SecurityAgriculture with a contribution o 21% to national GDP is the singlelargest sector o the economy and provides employment to more than

hal the countrys labour orce. Agriculture and agro based productsaccount or 70% o total export earnings and the sector supplies manyo the industries with raw materials. In turn the sector consumes morethan 40% o industrial nished goods.

With a major expansion o water supply through tube wells or irrigationin the 1970s and 1980s, the total cropped area has increased by onethird to 24 million hectare, yielding an average annual agricultural

growth rate o 5.4% in 1980s and 4.4% in the 1990s. This growth rateslowed down to 3.2% in the decade o 2000 due to adverse termso trade but overall the agriculture sector remains an ecient usero domestic resources both as a provider o additional employmentopportunities and as a producer o goods or consumption and orexports. With ecient use o modern technologies there is considerablescope or increasing agriculture productivity in the coming years.

To accelerate the pace o agriculture development and to reducepoverty by diversiying the rural economy to expand nonarmemployment, PML(N) will undertake the ollowing specic programmesand measures or the integrated development o agriculture, livestock,sheries, horticulture and orestry:

Turn agriculture into a ully-viable economic industry bychanging the policy ramework and terms o trade in avor oagriculture;

Focus on small armers as the real back-bone o the ruraleconomy and assure their access to knowledge, inputs andmarkets;

Give high priority to development o the livestock sector andsel suciency in oilseeds, as a part o an overall program tosheries and horticulture crops like ruits, vegetables and dates


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will be given special incentives. Revitalize corporate agriculture to overcome the limitation o the

small land owners by setting up land development corporationswith majority equity o the poor and managed by proessional

managers. Reorm the agriculture credit system to ensure that at least 50%o the total is provided to small armers and that land ownersare able to obtain credit on the basis o the market value o theland rather than outdated produce index units. High priority towomen borrowers in micro credit programmes.

Convert Pakistan into a large net exporter o ood and high-value crops to regional markets by modernizing post-harveststorage and marketing systems. There is very large demand orhalal products in these markets.

Build consensus on the basis o the 1991 Water Accord to allownew water projects to be undertaken and extension o irrigationacilities to additional areas.

Increase irrigation intensity through uller utilization o availablewater resources by expanding the on-arm water managementprogrammes, and generating hydel electricity on a large scalerom local water reservoirs and small dams.

Launch major programme o aquier recharge in arid and semi-arid areas o Cholistan, Thar and Baluchistan to ensure that waterows rom tube wells installed in these areas can be sustained.

Provide incentives or armers to adopt social orestry on acommercial scale rather than depend on restrictive laws or thispurpose particularly in border areas.

Undertake immediate updating o revenue and propertyrecords using modern Inormation Technology. Based on the

inormation so generated benamis can be eliminated, propertyrights o emale members protected, and better access to creditacilitated.

Revamp all agriculture research organizations to ensure thatthere is sustained increase in productivity to meet the demandso a growing population and that the benets o research


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actually reach the armers. Intensiy research eorts to reduce the energy intensity o the

agriculture sector to bring down the cost o production whichhas gone up due to high petroleum prices.

Modernize agriculture education in general and curriculum oagriculture universities in particular. Under its land reorm programme, PML(N) will reclaim and

irrigate additional land or allotment to landless, womenharis and tenants. It will also undertake a land consolidationprogramme to create viable units or modern agriculture.

Environmental Protection:

PML(N) will give high priority to ecologically sound developmentpolicies to preserve and develop the countrys natural and orestresources to counteract the impact o global warming and ght thecancer o water-logging and salinity.

There is need or a coherent strategy across all our provinces to dealwith the climate change threat acing Pakistan. Natural disasters donot stop at provincial boundaries and nor should their response be

disjointed. Past natural disaster remnants like oods and earthquakeaectees will be rehabilitated adequately. Prioritization o routesdestroyed in natural disasters will be undertaken. Model villages willbe built in all natural disaster zones to reduce discrimination.

Food Security:

Research across the world has shown that ood security cannot beensured only by increasing the availability o ood through higher

agricultural production. It also requires better access to ood. Inother words, the objective o ood security cannot be achievedunless and until the issue o poverty is also addressed. In the past5 years, the proportion o population living below the poverty line,according to several independent research studies, increased rom34% in 2007 to 40% in 2012. A drastic reduction in poverty levels


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has thus become the most important development challenge orthe next government.

PML(N) will seek Parliamentary approval or adding a new article to the

Constitution to make the Right to Food a undamental right o everycitizen within a reasonable time rame.

To implement the Right to Food policy, the government will ormulate,in consultation with the provincial governments, a National StrategyFor Food Security to achieve an average agricultural growth o at least4% per annum in the next decade, evolve an equitable system o oodprocurement and distribution, improve the access o poor households

to ood at aordable prices and evolve a transparent system o saetynets or very poor households.

It is also clear rom Pakistans own experience that marginal adjustmentsin development policies will not address the issue o mass poverty. Aparadigm shit will be needed to evolve pro-poor growth strategiesthat will change institutions and local power structures in avor othe poor, by giving them greater access to productive assets suchas land and livestock and acilities or acquired education and skills.Other important elements o such a pro-poor growth strategy willbe increasing non-arm employment in rural areas through small andmedium enterprises and greater stability in ood prices.

Social Protection:

PML(N) will launch a coherent social protection plan to protect thepoorer segments o society rom the adverse eects o ination andnational disasters. Main elements o such a programme will includethe ollowing:

Ensure universal access to aordable ood grains in all parts othe country by legislating the Right to Food as a undamentalright.

Strengthen the procurement programme to ensure all armers


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receive the guaranteed support price or grains and improvearrangements or storage and subsidized distribution to ensurerelative price stability throughout the year.

Introduce a transparent system o income support programme

or needy amilies with incomes below the prescribed limit witha special ocus on widows, orphans and the girl child. Adequatemonitoring mechanisms will be established to ensure thatresources under these income support programmes are notmisused. Education scholarships will be provided to orphans,disabled and other needy students or acquiring skills andhigher education. Concept o social entrepreneurship will beintroduced to ensure that the vulnerable communities who

have been granted additional cash grant or supporting theirlimited income do not end being counterproductive. It isreported that some o the cash assistance beneciaries stopmaking conscious eort or success in lie ater getting use oreceiving easy money o Income Support Programme at home.

Replace most untargeted subsidies with targeted subsidies andestablish dynamic mechanisms or targeting to ensure that thesystem is transparent and veriable.

Create public-private partnership to take ull advantage othe capacity already built by a large number o communityorganizations to respond to emergencies and nationalcalamities.

Undertake special labor-intensive employment programmesespecially in areas aected by insurgency and natural disastersbased on small inrastructure or rehabilitation projects whichare identied in consultation with the target communities.

In cooperation with the Provinces, the PML(N) Government will raisethe total spending on non-pension social protection rom the currentlevel o 1% o GDP to at least 2% by 2018.

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A NewFramework

or SocialChange


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A New Framework or Social ChangePakistan needs a new ramework or social change to provide equalopportunities and social justice to everyone, eliminate exploitation o

the poor, harness its human resource potential and restore the dignityo the citizen.

PML(N)s social agenda includes not only the vital sectors o Educationand Health but also other important dimensions like empowermento women and youth, speedy justice, and good governance at ederal,provincial and local levels in order to revive the economy and restorethe balance o power in avor o the people.

Such an integrated programme o social development can create andbroaden partnerships between dierent segments o society, reduceinjustice and intolerance society and helps to achieve the MillenniumDevelopment Goals 2015.

Education:With knowledge becoming the key driver o socio-economicdevelopment in the 21st century, Education must become number

one national priority. This phenomenal change should occur not just inpolicy statements but also in terms o nancial allocations, institutionalreorms, eective implementation o policies and an eective externalmonitoring and evaluation system. To respond to the challengeso knowledge revolution and globalization, we need an educationsystem that promotes creativity, analytical thinking, team work andstrong ethical oundations.

Education is also the greatest single equalizer in a society and universal

education is one o the most important means o reducing masspoverty. An educated, technologically advanced and progressivesociety is the need and aspiration o the people o Pakistan.

More than hal the countrys population is below 25 years. Educatedand properly trained youth can become the driving orce o progress


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and prosperity, but this demographic dividend can become ademographic challenge i the youth are not provided opportunitiesor education and employment. Education is thereore the key to thishuge reservoir o talent towards dynamism, knowledge-economy andsocial change.

Pakistan has nally taken a historic step orward to make the Right toEducation a undamental right by adding a new Article 25-A to theConstitution under the 18th Constitutional Amendment passed inApril 2010. Pakistan Muslim League (N) is determined to bring aboutan educational revolution in the country by taking ollowing steps:

National Education Emergency will be declared to eradicateilliteracy on war ooting basis A national literacy movement will be launched in which

volunteers rom all the segments o society will be motivated toparticipate.

In consultation with the provinces, initiate legislation to providea road map or achieving 100% enrollment up to the middlelevel and 80% universal literacy and strive to meet the target

o Education For All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) related to education within the given time rame. A vision 2025 or Pakistans education system shall be ormulated.

The vision aims at transorming Pakistani education system to beamong worlds best. This would be based on the aspirations othe people, the ideology o Pakistan, and new learning methodstechnologies - recognizing education as a right o every jobmarket needs, citizen providing equal and ample opportunity

to all its citizens to make themselves knowledgeable, skilul,productive, creative, condent and committed to moral values. A uniorm system o education will be introduced step by step to

minimize the problems arising rom the multiplicity o systems. Drop out rate at primary level will be reduced by providing

missing acilities in schools and ree text books, oeringincentives, especially or girls.


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Facilities or teacher training will be expanded at a rapid pacein collaboration with the Provincial Governments to improvethe quality o education and ensure a quality teacher in everyclassroom. At present with only 170 teacher training institutions(including 26 in the private sector) and total enrolment o650,000, we are training less than 10% o all our teachers.

Teaching at all levels will be made an attractive proession.Eorts will be made to bring in high caliber teachers by oeringbetter salary, improved service structure and other benets.

Training and reresher courses will be conducted at all levelsand their promotion will be linked with their qualications andperormance. The selection o teachers shall be purely on merit

through a transparent selection process. There is a need or developing a national strategy or skill-based

uniorm curriculum to meet the changing requirements o theeconomy and also to provide harmony among provinces. TheFederal government will assist and coordinate eorts o theprovincial governments to improve and standardize curricula indierent subjects.

National Curriculum Council shall be established comprising o

eminent public and private sectors experts to review nationalcurriculum and bring it to international standards to promoteanalytical thinking, creativity, team work, curiosity or learning,ethics and values.

Increased resources will be allocated or education sectorensuring proper and timely utilization o unds to reach theUNESCO target o 4% o GDP by 2018. Fiscal incentives andother support will be provided to encourage private investment

in secondary, vocational and higher education in the country. Inmaking, Federal transers the principle o matching grants willbe adopted to ensure that Provincial Governments also earmarkadequate resources or education.

Maximum acilities or science education will be provided in allparts o the country by upgrading and providing liberal grantsor science laboratories in all secondary schools. Centers or


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proessional excellence in various scientic disciplines will also bepromoted by providing highly qualied teachers and generousscholarships or training abroad. National and provincial levelscience competitions shall be organized to identiy young talent.

Computer labs shall be established in all the government highschools in the rst phase. All merit students in public universitiesshall be provided laptops to link them with the digital revolution.

Instruction o oreign languages shall be introduced in nationalcurriculum to meet the challenges o globalization.

Student career counseling services shall be introduced inschools, colleges and universities.

Danish Schools shall be set up in all provinces.

Education Endowment Funds shall be set up in all provinces toaward merit scholarships to poor and needy students or highereducation.

The Higher Education Commission will be given greaterautonomy and the required nancial resources to ensureadequate standards in Higher Education and inter provincialcoordination in such matters as curriculum and scienticresearch.

Technology Development Fund shall be established or HECscholars returning ater completion o PhD to introduce newtechnologies application in Pakistan.

Vice Chancellors o all public sector universities shall beappointed through a transparent merit based process throughSearch Committees.

The standards in universities shall be raised to transorm theminto world class universities. Additional higher educationalinstitutions will be established in public and private sectors,

especially in remote areas to increase enrolment in highereducation. Linkage o universities will be established with topranked universities o the world. Incentives will be given toencourage research in higher educational institutions.

Vocational and technical education will be promoted, especiallyin rural areas. Eorts will be made to integrate vocational


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training with mainstream education to meet the needs o ouryouth interested in ollowing technical careers. At least oneworld class technology university will also be established inevery province, and priority will be given to expand distance

learning programmes in public and private sector educationalinstitutions.

Madrassas will be provided nancial assistance and otherincentives to bring their syllabus and standards in conormitywith the mainstream education to improve the employmentprospects o Madrassa students. Also, vocational training will beoered to them to encourage them to become entrepreneurs.

Education sector monitoring will be strengthened through

autonomous monitoring and evaluations authorities and useo modern technology to check the perormance o educationsector. Examination system will be improved by making it moretransparent, reliable and in line with international standards.National Testing Service will be strengthened.

Reading culture will be promoted by developing libraries atnational, provincial and district levels equipped with modernreerence tools. Facilities or art, culture and sports will beexpanded and competitions shall be introduced at school levelas extra curricular activities.

A detailed action plan will be ormulated to upgrade thecapacity o provincial governments or the eective handlingo additional responsibilities entrusted to them under the 18thAmendment, including institutional restructuring to improveeducational administration through a Provincial Commissionor Higher Education and Establishment o autonomous DistrictEducation Authorities (DEAs).

Special education institutions shall be expanded to enablespecial children to attend schools.

Schools or Overseas Pakistani children to be transormed intotop quality education institutions. These shall be strengthenedthrough merit based transparent appointments, managementand inrastructure.


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High quality education can play a signicant role in developing worldclass human capital, only i it is accompanied by opportunities orentrepreneurship and innovation and a system which allows merit toprevail in all spheres o national lie.

Health:

Health delivery system in Pakistan is extremely inadequate. Basicmedical acilities are non-existent, especially in rural areas. Hospitals areover-crowded and public awareness about primary health care is verypoor. PML(N) will aim at a three old increase in the overall expenditureon Health to at least 2% o GDP by 2018, as recommended by theUnited Nations. High priority will be accorded to a preventive health

strategy to minimize costs of healthcare.

PML(N) will introduce a comprehensive National Health Service acrossPakistan with participation o the private sector. Salient eatures o theNational Health Service are outlined below:

A new National Health Insurance Scheme will be introduced orthe whole o Pakistan. Initially the scheme shall cover the mostvulnerable poorest segment o the population.

A new National Health Insurance card scheme will be introducedto avail basic healthcare in a government hospital or by a generalpractitioner at concessional rates initially, the scheme shall coverthe most vulnerable and poor segments o the population.

This acility will be ree or children under 12 in ull-timeeducation, senior citizens over 65 and amilies with low income.Better o citizens will be able to receive medical cards by payingthe prescribed annual ee o Rs. 100 per person or Rs. 300 per

amily. Existing Computerized National Identity Cards o beneciaries shall

be replaced with smart cards detailing coverage details and usageor each amily covered under the programme. Entire programmewould thus be managed through state o art IT applications.

Coverage o Rs. 150,000 per annum would be provided or


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each covered amily or meeting indoor treatment, inclusive osurgeries.

Participating hospitals shall receive payments rom Insurancecompanies. Premiums to Insurance companies shall be paid by

the provincial government. Programme shall be managed byprovincial governments. Existing Basic Health Units will be strengthened and where

possible leased to private Medical practitioners in publicprivatepartnership mode. Help will be provided to qualied doctorswho wish to set up new clinics.

Each District will have a District Healthcare Authority (DHA)which will manage the health system under a semi-autonomousBoard o Governors (BoG) consisting o eminent communityrepresentatives and proessionals. The authority will also managehospitals in their respective districts.

Each District will have at least one hospital with completediagnostic acilities and specialist in required elds. It will alsohave an institute or the training o paramedics and healthtechnicians. At least 1,000 mobile health units will be launchedto provide basic health acilities to remote areas and isolatedlocalities. These will be manuactured locally to reduce cost and

creating employment opportunities. Critical care units shall beestablished in each Tehsil headquarters hospital.

Medical colleges and teaching hospitals will also become ullyautonomous bodies managed by their respective Board oGovernors or proessional and administrative autonomy.

Provincial Governments will be encouraged to provide anecient medico-legal service. For this purpose acilities or legaland orensic studies will be expanded in Medical Colleges.

The basic aim o the health programme will be to achieve, within5 years, 100% vaccination o children, 50% reduction in maternaland inant mortality and at least 10% reduction in the rate opopulation growth.

Provision o clean drinking water and sae sewerage disposalwill be given high priority to control diseases like Diarrhea and


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Hepatitis. Schemes like Orangi Pilot Project will be replicatedthroughout Pakistan to seek community participation in theprovision o services like water supply and sewerage at reducedcosts.

Aggressive educational campaigns shall be launched to controldiabetes, hepatitis, HIV, and cardiac disorders.

Private sector will be encouraged to expand pharmaceuticalmanuacturing and setup manuacturing o diagnosticequipment so that cheap and eective treatment is available tothe people.

An independent Drug and Food Administration will be set upto enorce proper standards, check spurious drugs and regulate

prices o medicines to keep them within aordable limits. Eective hospital hygiene and waste disposal programmes shall

be introduced. Well-being o senior citizens and handicapped persons will be

ensured by special acilities, preerential access and concessions.Special quotas will also be earmarked in jobs and educationalinstitutions or handicapped persons. Special arrangements willbe made to monitor public health issues.

Women:

In Islam, women enjoy a place o honor and dignity that is unparalleledin history. The place o both men and women in the society isacknowledged in Islam. It is or this reason that acquiring knowledgehas been ordained or both. PML(N) shall:

Ensure respect, dignity, and protection granted by Islam towomen and protect their property rights.

Promote participation o women in national developmentand their social, political and economic empowerment byrecognizing their role as agents o change.

Give preerence to women teachers in primary education. Promote emale education especially vocational skills training

and healthcare programmes to overcome gender gaps.


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Enact or improve legislation on violence against women andchild abuse, and eliminate illegal and unjust practices underwhich women are discriminated.

Expand micro credit or emale borrowers substantially as a part

o the empowerment process, combined with special housebuilding credit acilities or widows.

An integrated population welare programme is required acrossPakistan so as to maximize the demographic dividend and avoida demographic disaster. A key element o this program will beimproved emale literacy.

Steps will also be taken to increase womens participation ratiosin nancial institutions, superior judiciary, health and educational

management and law enorcement agencies at executive level. Inheritance and property rights o emale heirs shall be

saeguarded. Institutional mechanism against harassment o women at

workplace shall be enorced. Day Care acilities will be established to support working women

to make workplaces women riendly. Women Entrepreneurship Financing Scheme shall be launched

to promote women entrepreneurship.Youth:

Youth is Pakistans uture. More than 63 percent o our population is lessthan 25 years o age. PML(N) believes that it is our youth which, i givenproper education and skills, can change the destiny o the nation. Inorder to reap this demographic dividend a dynamic new National YouthPolicy will be implemented with the ollowing important eatures:

Youth training and skill development programme shall beinitiated to create one million positions or apprenticeship intrade and industry, in collaboration with the private sector toensure at least one job or every low income amily.

Necessary legislation to make it compulsory or major industriesand service providers to ensure proper vocational training or


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their workers will be enacted along with scal incentives. Sel-employment loans shall be extended to those who

complete training / apprenticeship, especially in the inormationtechnology and other knowledge-based sectors.

Services o youth will be utilized in implementation o nationalliteracy programmes.

To involve youth in governance at the local level, special seatswill be reserved or them in the Union Councils and DistrictCouncils to prepare them or a bigger role in National andProvincial Assemblies.

Inter-provincial visits o youth delegations in various disciplinesshall be organized through domestic tourism and exchanges.

Anti-addiction campaign shall be launched to protect youthrom drugs abuse.

Sports:

PML(N) is ully conscious o the importance sporting activities playin improving the health and mindset o its people and the decline inSports and Exercise in recent years.

It commits to depoliticize sports bodies, bring proessional

managements signicantly improve the allocations or varioussports bodies and providing other incentive to give Pakistanglory in sporting arenas.

It also intends to provide scholarships to various educationalinstitutions or the youth excelling in sports.

Special ocus will be given to encourage sporting activitiesamong women and special persons.

Under a phased programme, modern gymnasia will be

constructed at the District and Tehsil levels.

Minorities:

The PML(N) considers religious minorities o the country as equalcitizens o Pakistan having the same rights as Muslims. As ordainedby Islam and the Constitution o Pakistan, the Minorities will have


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complete reedom o worshiping and the right to education andemployment in all sectors o the economy. Over the years as Pakistanssecurity situation has deteriorated, an some areas minorities havecome under increasing attacks. The current unrest and anxiety being

elt by minority communities due to discrimination or repressionin certain parts o Pakistan is very unortunate. There are reports oorced conversions and other acts o intimidation. This situation will beaddressed through decisive steps to restore their condence.

Specic measures or providing equal opportunities to minorities willinclude the ollowing:

National Day or Minorities to be celebrated to promote

integration, brotherhood and harmony so that the sense odeprivation is removed.

Necessary legislative measures will be undertaken to ensurethere is no orced conversion o religion in the guise o marriage.

Minority representation to be increased in the Evacuee TrustProperty Board (ETPB).

Quota to be introduced or minorities in educational institutionand public sector jobs including diplomatic missions.

The Christian community will be permitted to run their ownschools and colleges.

The development unds earmarked or minorities will bedoubled.

The Hindu Marriage Bill will be accelerated through the NationalAssembly.

Minorities may be given ocial leave and advance salary tocelebrate their religious estivities in whichever province they

are.


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DemocraticGovernance


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Democratic GovernancePML(N) is deeply committed to the ollowing principles o democraticgovernance as outlined in the Charter o Democracy signed on

May 14, 2006 in London between the leadership o PPP and PML(N):Noting our responsibility to our people to set an alternativedirection or the country, saving it rom its present predicamentson an economically sustainable, socially progressive, politicallydemocratic and pluralist, ederally cooperative, ideologicallytolerant, internationally respectable and regionally peaceulbasis in the larger interests o the people o Pakistan, to decideonce or all that only the people and no one else has the

sovereign right to govern through their elected representatives,as conceived by the democrat par excellence Father o theNation Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Lack o eective governance not only slows down the pace o economicgrowth but also has a disproportionately large negative impact onpoor people due to polluted air, unclean water, high ination and poordelivery o public services. The concept o Democratic Governancegoes beyond the narrow denition o good governance to ocus onthe needs and aspiration o the common people.

Democratic Governance requires mutually reinorcing progress on allthe three dimension o governance, i.e. political governance economicgovernance and civic governance, as outlined in dierent chapters othis Maniesto.

The political dimension o democratic governance requires strong

institutions like an eective parliament, independent judiciaryand Election Commission and a vigilant media. It also requires adecentralized political system which ensures the supremacy o electedrepresentatives at all levels.

Role o Parliamentary Standing Committees shall be strengthenedor eective Parliamentary oversight. An Ethics Committee at district


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level shall monitor perormance o its oce bearers and electedrepresentatives. Reorms to strengthen criminal justice system shall betaken or speedy justice.

The economic dimension o democratic governance requires a systemthat provides equal opportunities to all the citizens through equitableaccess to education, skill, income generating assets credit and publicservices in all parts o the country.

The civic dimension o democratic governance includes cooperationbetween the state and the civil society. The civil society can strengthendemocracy and governance by empowering the common man,demanding transparency and accountability and enorcing improved

standards o public services at all levels, right to inormation law basedon international best practices shall be passed to give every citizen theright to know and to build institutional mechanism to increase accessto inormation.

Local Government:

Apart rom consolidating democratic institutions and traditions at theederal and provincial level, the imperative o democratic governance

can be ullled only through urther decentralization by devolvingadministrative and nancial powers to elected representatives atdistrict and lower levels.

Unortunately, Pakistan has not so ar been able to evolve a viable andsustainable system o local governments because during each periodo military rule, military dictators introduced a new system o localbodies to serve their own political agenda. Such a system naturally

could not survive the transition rom military to civilian rule.PML(N) is ully committed to devolve political, administrative andnancial responsibility and authority to elected representatives o localgovernments, under Article 140-A o the Constitution, adopted underthe 18th Amendment. Local Government Elections shall be held withinsix months o general elections.


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In implementing Article 140-A, every eort will be made to secure acertain degree o uniormity in the local government system withinand among provinces so that democracy at the doorstep is the sameor people in all parts o Pakistan under a sustainable system.

PML(N) will also ensure that the new laws providing or a new localbodies system in replacement o the 2002 system are adoptedby consensus and that they provide or optimum devolution anddecentralization o administrative and nancial powers. Adequaterepresentation will be given in local bodies to women, peasants,workers, technocrats, minorities and or the rst time youth who willthus be involved in local governance at an early stage. Arrangementswill also be made or Provinces to learn rom each others experience.

Civil Service Reorms:

Reorms o the civil services will be undertaken at all levels to ensurebetter governance and improved delivery o services to the public.Much needs to be done to build a strong, ecient and proessionalcivil service.

Pakistan is a complex society and needs to initiate a unique and

bold attempt to reorm its Civil Services system. It will be one o thekey components o a larger attempt to undamentally restructurethe countrys state apparatus or democratic governance. The basicthrust o the plan will be both a major Public Sector Government

Transormation Program as well as a major overhaul o the ederal civilservice. Main purpose and objective o Civil Service Reorms will be:

Ensuring open government through transparency,accountability, and participation to ght corruption and improve

citizen engagement. Transorming public service into a highly capable service

provider by promoting merit based system at all levels throughimprovements in recruitment, postings, promotion, training andincentives.

Turning public sector into High Perormance Organizations by


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introducing result-based management to impact perormanceand service delivery with a ocus on quality, productivity,evidence based planning, business process reorm, restructuringo government ministries and departments, citizen charters, and

policy integration and evaluation. Harnessing new technologies or eciency and eectiveness

gains by deepening e-governance with a ocus on leveragingInormation & Communication Technology (ICT), GeographicInormation System (GIS) tools and mobile technology.

Creating responsive public sector by decentralizing servicedelivery unctions to district level in pursuance o theconstitutional mandate to pursue devolution.

Mobilizing resources by enhancing revenues, increasingexpenditure eciency with a ocus on e-procurement,proessional project management, and perormance basedbudgeting to maximize value or money.

Promoting pubic-private partnerships in production, servicedelivery and inrastructure services.

Building strategic policy development and implementationcapability, oster innovations through promoting knowledge

sharing, knowledge management, collaborations with academiaand private sector, and targeted allocations. Developing leadership or results and introducing modern

management practices / skills by reorming and strengtheningpublic sector training institutions.

It is equally important to evolve a strategic vision aimed at eectivelystrengthening rather than eroding state capacity by developing acomprehensive and holistic system or human resource management

in which recruitment, training, career planning and perormanceevaluation become part o a coherent system.

Technical and scientic tools or governance can be o great help inimproving the eciency and management o the aairs o the state likecomputerization system or property documentation and transactions.

These will improve governance and reduce corruption. Land record


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computerization project shall be extended to all provinces.

Taking government to the people and developing their ownershipis the way orward. Local problems need local participation and localsolutions through elected representatives at district and lower levels.Special attention is needed or capacity building especially at provincialand district levels.

An Early Warning System is required to be put in place an adequateramework or monitoring and prevention o crises and or relieoperations. This system will be able to alert the executive, policyand law makers in time to tackle the emerging crisis and help takepreventive measures.

Police Reorms:

Police laws will be reviewed to transorm the police orce into adepoliticized, ecient and eective law-enorcement body, which ishighly motivated, trained and provided with modern / computerizedinvestigative technology, including updated orensic acilities. Thiswill include improvements in the thana culture to remove dicultiesaced by the complainants to register FIRs and to saeguard against

harassment o innocent persons.All appointments in the Police Department in BPS-11 and above willbe made on merit through the respective Provincial Public ServiceCommissions on the basis o competitive examinations.

A modern, well-equipped, and citizen riendly Police holds key toghting crime, maintaining peace and law and order in the society.Police shall be reormed to become a community-based Smart Police

equipped with modern tools and technologies. Further, All police stations shall be converted into Model Police Stations

in phase wise approch. Recruitment in Police shall be ensured on merit. Forensic investigation capability shall be developed in each

district.


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National and provincial databases o criminals shall be built incoordination with NADRA.

All SHOs and public dealing sta will be trained in people skills. Police and intelligence agencies cooperation shall be improved

to prevent crimes and terrorism.Inormation Technology and e-Government:

In the spirit o democratic governance, revolutionary polices andvisionary approach, we will give very high priority to the Inormationand Communications Technology (ICT) sector. It is our belie that intodays global economic and technological dynamics, ICT plays a vitalrole in national development, good governance, and public services.

The world is evolving rapidly into a knowledge-based economy.Hence the ICT sector must become a primary sector at the nationallevel. PML(N) will evolve an active ICT policy and a new ICT regulatoryramework to create 1 million new direct and indirect jobs.

The development o Pakistan into an inormation society andknowledge economy will be accomplished by building on andstrengthening our pillars:

a) Governanceb) Public Servicesc) Local Sotware Economy andd) Technology

1. Governance The public sector will play a major role as anenabler, producer and use o e/m applications and digitalcontent through the ollowing specic measures:

a. Introduce and integrate ICT at the working and operational

levels o all major ministries and departments. Operationaleciency o all major projects will be maximized throughICT.

b. Establish an e-Government portal at ederal andprovincial levels and convert manual approval processesto automated processes thus reducing the le culture.


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Use o ICT and automation will be a priority in lawenorcement, judiciary, health, education, manuacturing,taxation and transportation sectors.

c. Automate all citizens databases, including land and

property records in an integrated manner to create amaster database o citizens at the national level thatcontains all relevant inormation such as NADRA data,FBR data, land records, property data, vehicle ownership,and arms data. This will acilitate transition towards adocumented economy and will signicantly expand thetax net.

d. Create and implement perormance monitoring

dashboards or all major ministries, provincial, district andcity governments, and major national projects.e. Demonstrate respect or Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

at the government level, evolving legislation to protectIPR and ensuring enorcement o the relevant laws inletter and spirit.

. Create an autonomous organization to investigate andprevent cyber crimes.

2. Public Services will be improved through the use o inormationtechnology by:

a. Expanding access to knowledge through e-libraries,computer-based vocational trainings, online journals andperiodicals.

b. Bridging rural-urban digital divide by establishing 500ICT centers in smaller cities and towns to reduce theknowledge gap and break rural isolation.

c. Expanding IT labs and access to laptops in the educationsector across Pakistan, as already demonstrated by PML(N)in Punjab.

d. Promoting the use o e-Commerce and branch-lessbanking maximizing the online availability o inormationor citizens (such as crop & consumer price indexes or


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armers & citizens).e. Promoting and acilitating sotware industry to develop

country-specic content or the customer to be accessedthrough 4G and Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks and

other advanced technologies.. Standardized inormation about public services will bemade available through call centers and text messages,in addition to internet, to ensure widest access to citizensrom all sections o society.

g. Wide penetration o cell phones in all sections osociety will be leveraged to proactively seek eedbackrom citizens, disseminate public service messages, andincrease citizens engagement.

3. Local Sotware Economy Promote the local sotware industryto generate annual exports o at least US$ 10 billion by 2020:

a. Revise IT curriculum in higher education to ensure thatthe students are imparted most advanced and relevanttechnology concepts, thus creating a pool o world-classworkorce.

b. Provide appropriate incentives to the hardware and

sotware industry including start-up assistance to newsotware houses to promote entrepreneurship.

c. Development o IT parks in major cities that will oerworld-class inrastructure or IT companies to operatewithout any impediments to their business andacilitate interaction with academia, industry and otherstakeholders.

d. Position Pakistan as a destination o choice in the region

or oshore ICT business establishment and investors.e. When appropriate, include a technology transer and

percentage local development and content clause inuture government projects.

. Adherence to relevant international ICT standards will beensured with regards to certication and processes.


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4. Technology Dissemination A comprehensive programmewill be launched to ensure ast track induction o modern ICTtechnologies through:

a. Frog leap rom 2.5G to 4G/LTE. The window o opportunityto deploy 5 year old 3G has passed.

b. Develop a network o (renewable energy-based) kiosksin rural communities and poor urban centers to acilitateaccess to inormation (agriculture prices or armers) andacilitate e-commerce.

c. Leverage ICT R&D und to establish Centers o Excellencein dierent universities to oster research and innovation.

d. Improve the working o the Universal Services Fund(USF) and utilize its resources to bridge rural-urban digitaldivide and establish Wi-Fi hotspots.

e. Unplug the unique interactive quality o Social Media topromote innovation, collaboration and entrepreneurshipby engaging, soliciting ideas, listening and learning romcustomers, suppliers, employees and all sectors o society.Promote strategic adoption o social media by businesses,

organizations and government institutions to improvediscrete unctions and practices and remain relevant toall their stakeholders.

Through these programmes every eort will be made to reduce thedigital divide between urban and rural areas and enhance access togovernment services and business opportunities in all parts o Pakistanas an important component o democratic governance.


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Scienceand

Technology


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Science and TechnologyThe Science and Technology (S&T) policy represents a strategic shitrom the prevailing piece-meal approach to a holistic S&T strategy.

Focus will be on the rapid development o human resources andproviding meaningul employment to a growing young, educatedsegment o the population:

Improved communication, coordination and collaborationamong S&T, ICT and other sectors o socio-economicdevelopment.

Immediate Innovation Incubators at each major school oScience & Technology and medicine.

Holistic Technology Clusters in every major city o everyprovince within 5-years.

Relevant R&D through international collaboration. Create one million new jobs within 5-years that enhance socio-

manifesto pmln 2013 - eng

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