Water Issue To Be PTI Government's Top Priority: Dr Yasmin Rashid

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Water issue to be PTI government's top priority: Dr Yasmin Rashid

PTI's one of the most active women candidate from NA-125 constituency Dr Yasmin Rashid Tuesday expressing her resolve to address water crisis a biggest threat to the country said water issue would be the top priority of her party, if it came to power as a result of the general election 2018.

ISLAMABAD, Jul 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jul, 2018 ) :PTI's one of the most active women candidate from NA-125 constituency Dr Yasmin Rashid Tuesday expressing her resolve to address water crisis a biggest threat to the country said water issue would be the top priority of her party, if it came to power as a result of the general election 2018.

According to the reports released by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as well as the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) in the last month have alerted that the country would reach absolute water scarcity by the year 2025.

The country is currently facing the acute shortage of water that can be seen on every major political parties' manifesto atop and also echoed in almost every public gatherings, election rallies and corner meetings.

In an telephonic interview with APP, she underlined the need for constructing new and mega water reservoirs keeping in view the country's future needs in agriculture and energy sectors besides providing clean drinking water facilities to every citizen.

Highlighting the deteriorated situation of water shortage, she said the water scarcity threat was looming over the country and water had reached to the dead levels in the dams that required a comprehensive policy work on war footing.

Enlightening about her aggressive campaign, Yasmin said she was reaching out to every voter of her constituency with the manifesto focusing on the basic amenities of life including education, clean drinking water, electricity, health and gender equality adding that " human resource development is our main agenda." She claimed that "I will be victorious on NA-125's seat in the upcoming electoral fray but it will premature to predict final outcome of a competition as any player can get double or nothing in a game." Commenting on the five per cent quota of women on general seats fixed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as mandatory for the allotment of election symbols to political parties she appreciated the new rules incorporated in the Election Act,2017 to encourage women's active participation in the elections.

She called it a step in the right direction but opined for at least 33 per cent quota against the population of women over the 50 per cent.

"Our Party awarded the tickets to the women on merit as PTI does not compromise on meritocracy," she added.

Responding to a question, she stressed to abolish the selection of women on reserved seats for their proper representation in national politics and appealed to all political parties to support female contestants financially and morally in their campaigns to encourage them for their active participation in the election.

"There is a big difference between nominated candidate and selected one as an elected candidate comes in the parliament with his/her voters' mandate that build his/her confidence for exercise of powers," she said.

She ,however, termed the reserved seats quota instrumental in bringing the women in national politics and acquainting them with procedure of legislation as well as parliamentary affairs.

"Our party will definitely introduce the new system for women election where a women have her own self-respect rather than being nominated," she added.

Yasmin links the victory of PTI in the general election 2018 with the transparent and impartial election and claimed " PTI will fetch majority seats required for making a government in the federation if rigging is avoided".

It is worth mentioning that Dr Yasmin contesting election in the stronghold of Pakistan Muslim League-N against Waheed Alam in NA-125 earlier NA-120.The PTI stalwart had lost the election from former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in general election 2013 and also defeated from begum Kalsoom Nawaz in the last by-election.