{"id":23947,"date":"2018-12-01T19:23:15","date_gmt":"2018-12-01T19:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=23947"},"modified":"2018-12-01T19:23:15","modified_gmt":"2018-12-01T19:23:15","slug":"eggonomics-pakistanis-mock-pms-chicken-plan-to-ease-poverty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=23947","title":{"rendered":"Eggonomics: Pakistanis mock PM’s ‘chicken plan’ to ease poverty"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan<\/a> has hit back at criticism over a proposal to alleviate poverty by developing the local poultry industry, citing a similar recommendation by US billionaire Bill Gates.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a wide-ranging speech\u00a0on Thursday<\/span> marking his government’s first 100 days in office in the capital Islamabad, Khan said rural women will be given chickens and eggs to start poultry businesses, which he said is a “great plan” to help eradicate poverty.<\/p>\n

“I’m proposing such a plan which doesn’t require billions of dollars,” said the cricketer-turned-politician.<\/p>\n

“The project has been experimented with. If we provide them (rural women) with injections, this will raise the [chickens’] protein intake and they (women) will have more chickens and eggs to sell. This is a way to uplift the poor.”<\/p>\n

An estimated 24.3 percent of Pakistan’s population lives below the national poverty line, according to the latest World Bank figures<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Khan’s recommendation was received with both applause and amusement in the audience, but social media<\/a> users and opposition politicians later mocked him, poking fun at the prime minister’s “eggonomics”.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Dear Imran Khan please think 100 times before you speak on national and international platforms. Discussing eggs and chickens on a day when you’re presenting 100 days plan is ridiculous,” wrote Usman Khan on\u00a0Twitter.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Dear Imran Khan please think 100 times before you speak on national & international platforms. Discussing Eggs & chickens on a day when you’re presenting 100 days plan is ridiculous. We voted you because we found you a different leader & expect alot. @PTIofficial<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Usman Khan (@Usmankh03) November 30, 2018<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Chicken after PM Select Imran Khan’s announcement. #Eggonomics<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/XuNNALKyJ9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Majid Agha (@Majid_Agha) November 30, 2018<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Asad Umer: Sir, we are devaluing the Rs in order to balance out the demand….
Imran Khan: TELL ME ABOUT THE CHICKENS? ARE THE CHICKENS OKAY?<\/p>\n

\u2014 Hassam Tahir (@hassamt1) November 30, 2018<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Countries economies are not grown\/ expanded through ditribution of eggs. Andas bohat kha chukee yeh qoum. This is not expected from you #chicken<\/a> #Eggonomics<\/a> #eggnomics<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Kashif Malik (@Kash_malik) December 1, 2018<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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After listening to IK speech last evening, I am SHOCKED and concerned for our country. Eggs, Desi chicken, Kattas based economy at a time when fourth industrial revolution is on the horizon is a much too serious comedy. It shows what kind of agenda is being discussed in PM office<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) November 30, 2018<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“After listening to Imran Khan’s speech last evening, I am SHOCKED and concerned for our country. Eggs, Desi chicken, Kattas based economy at a time when fourth industrial revolution is on the horizon is a much too serious comedy. It shows what kind of agenda is being discussed in PM office,” wrote Ahsan Iqbal, former interior minister and member of the opposition PML-N party.<\/p>\n

‘Excited about chickens’<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Responding to the social media storm, Khan posted a Business Insider article published in 2016, titled “Bill Gates explains why chickens are the ultimate solution to poverty”.<\/span><\/p>\n

“For the colonised minds when desis [(ocal people) talk about chickens combating poverty they get mocked, but when “walaitis” (foreigners) talk about desi chicken and poverty it’s brilliance!,” Khan posted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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For the colonised minds when desis talk about chickens combating poverty they get mocked, but when “walaitis” talk about desi chicken and poverty it’s brilliance! https:\/\/t.co\/bjvQQIVoRv<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 1, 2018<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In 2016, Gates, philanthropist and founder of tech giant Microsoft, donated more 100,000 chickens to Heifer International, a charity that focuses on sustainable farming and women empowerment. <\/span><\/p>\n

“It’s pretty clear to me that just about anyone who’s living in extreme poverty is better off if they have chickens,” Gates wrote<\/a> in a blog, underlining the benefits of breeding chickens to impoverished families.<\/p>\n

“It sounds funny, but I mean it when I say that I am excited about chickens,” he added.<\/p>\n

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Microsoft founder @BillGates<\/a> launched a campaign to help extremely poor families in Africa by giving them chickens. <\/p>\n

However, when PM Imran Khan talks about it, it becomes an issue.
Propagandists really can’t rise above their hate! https:\/\/t.co\/9QiGwpCeAA<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tehreek-e-Insaf (@InsafPK) November 30, 2018<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Many jumped to Khan’s defence and also shared Gates’ theory on the subject.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Those who are poking fun of @ImranKhanPTI<\/a> for the chicken and egg theory of poverty alleviation should pause and read what Bill Gates has to say on the subject. https:\/\/t.co\/BdKtTlTgz1<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) November 30, 2018<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Pakistan’s agriculture sector contributes<\/a> more than 20 percent of the national gross domestic product (GDP) and is an important employer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Khan’s new government, which came to power in July, is faced with huge economic challenges, marked by a mounting balance payments deficit.<\/p>\n

On Friday, the Pakistani currency\u00a0<\/span>plunged<\/a>\u00a0almost five percent to a record low of 143 rupees against the US dollar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Talks<\/a> with the International Monetary Fund over a potential bailout package are currently under way.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has hit back at criticism over a proposal to alleviate poverty by developing the local poultry industry, citing a similar recommendation by US billionaire Bill Gates.\u00a0 In a wide-ranging speech\u00a0on Thursday marking his government’s first 100 days in office in the capital Islamabad, Khan said rural women will be given…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":23948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle_east_news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23947\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}