PM Imran Khan resolves to battle 'four ills' of Pakistan in 2019
Prime Minister Imran Khan with the dawn of a new year on Tuesday resolved to battle poverty, illiteracy, injustice and corruption in the country in 2019.
In a tweet on Jan 1, the prime minister declared that his government would "wage jihad against the four ills of our country: poverty, illiteracy, injustice and corruption."
"InshaAllah 2019 is the beginning of Pakistan's golden era," the premier promised.
President Arif Alvi shared his best wishes for citizens and prayed that the new year would bring success and prosperity to the people and the country.
"May Allah grant you and your families success and happiness this year," he tweeted.
"I also pray that Pakistan continues on its path to progress so that [it] can be rid of poverty, hardship and unemployment."
Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor declared 2019 as the "year of progress" in a message tweeted on New Year's Eve.
"In our national pursuit for a peaceful, prosperous and vibrant Pakistan, 2019 is year of progress," he said, adding: "United we shall consolidate our successes."
He went on to pay tribute to "resilient Pakistanis and martyrs".
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry tweeted a couplet encouraging the nation to move forward together and look for solutions to the problems that the country is facing.
He urged the people to "live and let others live" and leave outdated customs behind.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah paid a sudden visit to the secretariat on Tuesday, where he reviewed progress and checked the attendance register. Talking to the media afterwards, he said that he was not happy with the attendance but he had given a clear message that the new year is the "year of hard work".