MANSEHRA: While giving a 24-hour deadline to CM Mahmood Khan for providing cheap flour to KPK’s masses, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said that his government was compelled to increase fuel prices because of the policies of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Addressing a public gathering of PML-N in Mansehra district in Hazara, KP, PM Shehbaz said they increased the fuel prices with a heavy heart but offset it by giving 80 million people a subsidy package worth Rs28 billion.
He said the government has recently set the flour price at Rs400 per 10kg at all utility stores across the country.
He said that during his last visit to KP couple of weeks ago, he had requested the chief minister to fix the flour price in the province at Rs490 per 10kg like Punjab but claimed of having received no response on it yet.
Recalling his promise to provide cheap flour to the people of KP which he made in Swat while attending the first public rally after assuming the charge, PM Shehbaz said he is giving a 24-hour deadline to the KP chief minister to bring the flour price in his province to rate it is available in Punjab. Or else, he said that the federal government would take measures to ensure the people of KP get flour at an affordable price.
“I am saying it once again that I will sell my clothes but provide you [people of KP] with cheap flour,” he once again pledged.
He announced the establishment of a medical college and a Rs1 billion development package for Mansehra. Along with this, he announced the establishment of a separate electric supply company for Hazara which was previously demanded by a local official of PML-N in the rally.
He also announced distributing free laptops in the next budget to the shining students.
Talking about foreign debts, the premier said that the burden of foreign debts on Pakistan is such that it could not be paid off by generations to come.
“[Ex-premier] Imran Khan’s government took such hefty amount of loans that our generations might not be able to pay them,” he maintained.
He acknowledged the “pain” of the people due to the rising inflation but blamed the PTI-led government for the issue and said his team would work to reduce it.
Lashing out at Khan, the prime minister said he did not deliver on his promise of five million homes during his tenure. “But we have, to cushion the inflation’s effect on people, have announced a subsidy package.”
The prime minister termed himself as the “servant of Pakistan” and labeled Khan as a “miscreant” — in a reference to this week’s riots in Islamabad and across the country, which saw the deaths of three people, including a policeman.
“I will fight till the end for people’s prosperity,” he added.
