Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday (today) has announced decrease of Rs 10 on petrol and diesel prices.
The premier announced the decrease in his televised address to the nation. After decrease of Rs 10 now petrol prices per litre will be 149.59.
The PM assured that the prices of petrol and diesel would not increase till the next budget — which is in June.
Another measure that the PM announced today that electricity prices are being slashed by Rs5 per unit.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said his recent visits to China and Russia will have far reaching impact on country’s economy.
He said we are going to import two million tons of wheat and gas from Russia, while we have better understanding on the second phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
Imran Khan said he believes in an independent policy in the best interest of the people of Pakistan.
He urged the people to not vote for a party, whose leader is involved in corruption as such parties cannot pursue an independent foreign policy.
PM Imran Khan said since he began politics, he wanted a sovereign policy for Pakistan, which was not dependent on any other state and was solely for the country’s benefit.
Citing an example of a foreign policy that is dependent on other countries’ interests, he noted Pakistan supported the United States in its “war on terror” that resulted in several casualties on home soil.
“I was against this war since day one. No Pakistani was involved in the 9/11 attacks,” the prime minister said, noting that when Pakistan partook in the Afghan war earlier, it was termed as “jihad”, but when the US invaded Afghanistan, Washington said it was going into Kabul to defeat terrorism.
PM Imran Khan said Pakistan suffered heavily, in terms of human lives and capital. “As many as 80,000 Pakistanis were martyred, 3.5 million people were displaced, and the country suffered losses worth $150 billion.”
The premier slammed the US for bombing Pakistan despite Islamabad being part of the war on terror. He said that dictators were known for accepting foreign pressure to gain acceptability.
But during former dictator Gen Pervez Musharraf’s rule, only 10 drone attacks took place in Pakitan, while during PPP and PML-N’s tenure, a total of 400 attacks took place.
“Shouldn’t democratic have stood up for the people?” he asked, adding that former president Asif Ali Zardari had said he did not care for the collateral damage that was incurred during the drone attacks.
Regarding the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (PECA) law, the prime minister said it was enacted in 2016, and the incumbent government had only made amendments to it.
“A head of state who has not been involved in any type of corruption is not scared of the media,” the prime minister said, turning down notions that the government was attempting to muzzle the media.
The prime minister said a “majority” of news stories being published and aired in the mainstream media were anti-government. He added that the government aimed at tackling social media through PECA.
He said some journalists resorted to mudslinging when it came to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, accusing that the funds raised by the hospital were used to fund the PTI.
“There are journalists who accept a bribe and publish filth [against the government],” he stressed, claiming that the type of news stories published in Pakistani media cannot be “reported in any other democracy of the world”.
Good journalism is an asset for society and only criticism helps governments improve, but resorting to mudslinging and saying filthy things about women should be controlled, he added.
Regarding Pakistan’s economy, he said that when the PTI government came into power, it inherited an economy with the biggest current account deficit in the country’s history.
He said the government had to face the “toughest” economic situation to rectify the economy and to top it all off, it also had to deal with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that inflation in the country is because of a hike in international prices, adding that since Pakistan is not isolated from the global economy, it too had to bear the impact of inflation.
He also cited the example of the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Turkey, saying that all these countries were also facing “historic” inflation in decades.
The premier quoted comparative facts and figures related to inflation during the PTI government’s tenure, the PML-N’s term, and the PPP’s time.
Quoting The Economist magazine, the premier said that during the last three years when that entire world was battling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan was ranked among the top three countries that smoothly sailed through the COVID-19 challenge in terms of economy.
“Even the World Bank praised our policies [of smart lockdowns],” the prime minister said.
2.6 million Educational Scholarships
The Prime Minister announced 2.6 million educational scholarships and said that Rs. 38 billion will be allocated for that purpose.
100 Percent Tax Exemption For IT Sector
He also announced various incentives for the promotion IT sector including 100% tax exemption for companies and freelancers, 100 waiver on repatriation of capital and foreign exchange and elimination of capital gain tax for startups.
Restrictions On Movement Of Foreign Exchange For IT Sector lifted.
the restrictions on the movement of foreign exchange for IT sector is being lifted.
Tax Holiday For Five Years For Overceas Pakistanis Investors
The Prime Minister said that the investment from Overseas Pakistanis including through joint ventures will enjoy tax holiday for five years.
Rs. 460 billion for the provision of interest-free loans for youth under the Kamyab Jawan Program
He further said that the government will spend Rs. 460 billion for the provision of interest-free loans for youth under the Kamyab Jawan Program to start business, for low-income groups to construct their own houses and for farmers.
Health Card Big blessing for low-income families.
The premier said that he had informed the chief ministers of the provinces that health insurance was a big blessing for low-income families.
“When illness strikes, they should not have the fear that they cannot get treated at a hospital. Often times they go to government hospitals and there are no doctors and nurses.”
PM Imran said that every household in Punjab would have the sehat card by the end of March, allowing them to avail medical treatment of up to Rs1 million at any hospital. “A health system is being created in Pakistan. Small hospitals are being constructed in the villages.”
