Imran Khan’s idea to ‘uplift’ the poor by developing the poultry industry sets Twitter alight with jokes at his expense.

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. 

In a wide-ranging speech on Thursday 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.

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

“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.”

An estimated 24.3 percent of Pakistan’s population lives below the national poverty line, according to the latest World Bank figures. 

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

“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 Twitter.

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.

“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 in a blog, underlining the benefits of breeding chickens to impoverished families.

“It sounds funny, but I mean it when I say that I am excited about chickens,” he added.

Many jumped to Khan’s defence and also shared Gates’ theory on the subject. 

Pakistan’s agriculture sector contributes more than 20 percent of the national gross domestic product (GDP) and is an important employer. 

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

On Friday, the Pakistani currency plunged almost five percent to a record low of 143 rupees against the US dollar. 

Talks with the International Monetary Fund over a potential bailout package are currently under way. 

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