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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will soon announce a “Mega Relief Package” to deal with rising inflation, providing relief to 10 million people directly, Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry announced on Monday.
He was addressing a press conference alongside Special Assistant to the PM on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill after a meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI’s) core committee in Islamabad.
Talking about the meeting, the information minister said two major agendas, including a mega package to control inflation and upcoming local government elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, came under discussion.
Fawad said the core committee expressed concerns over the constant increase in fuel prices at the international market. “Though, the government has taken numerous steps to prevent its impact from passing on to the masses, but the concerning thing is that as to how long will it be controlled,” he added.
Taking over the presser, Shahbaz Gill said that the premier was expected to address the nation day after tomorrow to take people into confidence on the current economic situation in the country and share details of the inflation package.
The government has been facing severe criticism from the opposition, particularly after the premier approved a Rs10 increase in the price of petrol last month.
Inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Index posted an increase of 1.23 percent for the week ended on October 28 driven by a sharp rise in the prices of essential food items.
Speaking to journalists today, Chaudhry said that the committee decided that local government representatives in the upcoming polls would be elected through direct elections. “This is another promise that the prime minister and the PTI are fulfilling,” he added.
Fawad further said the party had started the process of nomination of candidates in Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and others were also running a campaign in the province.
When asked about the ongoing sit-in of the proscribed Pakistan Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, the federal minister refused to talk about it and said as Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said earlier, details of the agreement reached with the group and progress on this front would be shared later.
