Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said that the idea of the Islamic welfare state is greater than making Islamabad an "Asian Tiger".

Speaking at the launch of the distribution of the national health card scheme – Sehat Card in Punjab province, Khan said that some leaders in the past claimed to make Pakistan an Asian Tiger which could in no way be greater than the idea of a welfare state like Madina, reported The Nation. "A welfare state always believed in inclusive growth and had compassion for the weaker segment. Any individual or nation abiding by the teachings of Allah Almighty would get His blessings", he observed.

Citing the State of Madina as the first welfare state which fulfilled all basic responsibilities of its citizens, the prime minister said unfortunately, no such state was found in the Muslim world. The Scandinavian states, however, were close to that model, reported The Nation.

Naming Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the Pakistani prime minister said that these countries did not have more resources than Pakistan but they were more prosperous by having adopted the model of a welfare state.

The Asian Tigers is a term used in reference to the highly free-market and developed economies of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.

All four economies have been fuelled by exports and rapid industrialization, and have achieved high levels of economic growth since the 1960s.

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