Pakistan stands with people of Turkiye in testing times

Nation disappointed with Imran’s ‘somersaults’: PM

Provinces asked to submit Ramazan plan on subsidized food items

 

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister Monday assured Turkish ambassador Mehmet Paçaci that in the testing times, the government and the people of Pakistan stood in strong solidarity with the people of Turkiye.

He made the remarks during his visit to the Turkish Embassy here to express condolences over the loss of life and property in the devastating earthquake in Turkiye.

 

 

Chairing a meeting on the availability of essential commodities and food items, he stressed using technology to control the rates in Ramazan bazars. He also emphasized putting in place effective measures for security.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday asked the provinces and administrative units to submit a comprehensive strategy to the federal government on the provision of food items at subsidized rates during the holy month of Ramazan.

The prime minister directed to increase the number of Ramazan bazars in big cities to accommodate the maximum population.

He said ensuring the supply of essential items to citizens was the basic responsibility of the federal and provincial governments.

In this regard, he called for improving liaison between centre and provinces and directed strict action against the hoarders.

He stressed removing hurdles in import of necessary items on a priority basis.

He said special committees would be set up to improve the supply chain of commodities and maintain their prices.

The meeting was told that necessary steps were being taken to ensure the supply of commodities including wheat, pulses and edible oil, and other items.

It was highlighted that the federal government was supplying the required wheat to the provinces. Some provinces are using mobile phone applications to reach out to the citizens for the supply of essential items at reduced rates.

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for National Food Protection and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the chief secretaries of four provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, the chief commission of Islamabad, and senior officials.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz said the politics of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan was based on lies and his ‘somersaults’ had disappointed the nation.

“Imran Niazi’s antics and somersaults continue to disappoint the nation,” he said in a tweet, in reference to the U-turns of the PTI leader on his own previous stance.

Imran Khan in an interview and a televised address on Sunday stated that the United States was not behind the conspiracy of ousting him from the government.

Imran’s statement was in stark contrast to his earlier stance of blaming the U.S., where he had called the country a main culprit behind the ‘regime change’.

The prime minister said, “The only constant is his desperation to get back into power even if it involves plunging the country into a protracted period of instability.”

He said the politics of Imran Niazi was based on lies, which were getting exposed by the day.