Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday reiterated his resolve to hold accountable people who plundered the national exchequer and burdened the nation with financial woes.

While addressing the International Rehmatul-Lil-Alameen (SAW) Conference, the prime minister hit back at critics who kept asking him when Naya Pakistan (New Pakistan) and State of Medina would come into being.

My answer to those who keep asking me when Naya Pakistan will emerge is that the state of Medina was not built within a day.

“People keep asking me when Naya Pakistan, modelled after the state of Medina, will be made and I tell them this is a continuous struggle, and at least we have started on the path,” he added. “I will keep working to make this country on the principles of the state of Medina,” he said.

While addressing the current political situation, the prime minister said no NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) or other relaxations can be given to the corrupt.

“People say that I should forgive those who have looted the country, but it is not my money that they have looted,” he said.

The premier said that people give money to charity but do not pay taxes. “If they don’t give taxes how will the country progress? Those who plundered the wealth of the nation deserve no right to be spared.”

He made it clear that clemency and compassion were only for poor and downtrodden segments of society and not for the powerful and corrupt people.

For us the true role model is the personality of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), said the prime minister adding “Pakistan, Malaysia and Turkey have decided to jointly produce films depicting great Islamic leaders in order to familiarise our population with our great history,” the prime minister said.

“I did not speak about the state of Medina before the elections because if I had, people would have said he is talking about the state of Medina for votes.”

The prime minister further said that a person’s mission should not be to make money, but instead, it should be about making people’s lives better with the money.”

The prime minister also urged the Ulema (religions scholars) to guide the government in transforming the country on the basis of Islamic principles.

He said that he had answered all the questions at the Supreme Court which had declared him as ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’ (The Truthful and the Trustworthy). “I have not escaped to London but replied to every question,” he added.

Appreciating minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, the prime minister said that with his efforts, he had brought down losses of railways from Rs36 billion (Dirham 846.689 million) losses to Rs32 billion (752.613 million) in ten months.

The prime minister regretted that Pakistan’s International Airline (PIA), power, gas sectors and railways were running into huge losses due to the major reason due to the corruption.

“A country does not become poor due to lack of resources, but due to cancer of corruption. It is the corruption which makes the elite class richer at the cost of poor people,” he added.