By BR Web Desk

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the fundamental principle of a civilised society was to bring the powerful under the law, reiterating the need for equal justice for all.

In an online interview with a US-based Islamic scholar, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, on Sunday, PM Imran alleged that the elite has captured the entire system and left the people with no opportunities and a level-playing field in their own country.

“It is unfortunate that jails are filled with the poor and not by the elite and corrupt mafia,” he said, “Most of the politicians used the power for personal gain.”

The prime minister claimed that a few people come into politics for humanity rather than for their own benefit. “In most of the developing world, politicians come to make money, and very few are Mandelas and our Quaid Jinnah,” he said.

PM Imran said that his government wanted to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state based on the principles of Madina state and was “working on the fast track” to achieving such an objective.

“We have given the biggest welfare programme and this is the ambition of his government,” he said.

The premier was of the view that Pakistan has “tremendous potential, diversified and talented ethnic groups,” but due to lack of rule of law, the country could not achieve the potential in society.

Earlier, PM Imran reiterated that he and his government would not bow down before the “mafia,” while taking on the opposition parties, which he said joined hands to hide their corruption.

“I will not surrender in front of them and I will not let them go scot-free for what they have done with this country,” he said.

“All of them have now joined hands to save their corruption. They have been united in a desperate struggle for their political survival,” he said.

“No matter what they do —no matter how hard they try— they will never get an NRO, they have to pay for their corruption and everything they did to this country,” he said reiterating his government’s zero tolerance for corruption.