Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday, while emphasizing transparency in Senate elections, said the government will abide by the court verdict on the matter.

The prime minister said the history is evident of horse-trading in Senate election and the government desires to hold fair election of the Upper House of parliament.

About the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) allegation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf getting funding from Israel and India, the prime minister reiterated that there should be an open hearing of the case, be it by the Supreme Court or the Election Commission. He said the PTI’s whole funding is legal with a complete record of donors, contrary to the opposition parties, which are unable to name their financiers. “Would I have called for open hearing, if I was frightened?” he questioned.

He said the allegations of Israeli or Indian funding by an anti-PTI individual are ill-intentioned and malafide. He said in the past, the opposition had its own handpicked chief election commissioner (CEC). Now as the incumbent government has appointed the new chief of Election Commission of Pakistan after consultation with the opposition, the people should now know whether Israel or India funded the PTI or not, he added.

Asked about the Broadsheet issue, the prime minister said it has nothing to do with current government as General Musharraf had signed the contract and backtracked unilaterally by giving an NRO to Nawaz Sharif. He said the government has formed a ministerial committee comprising judges and lawyers to probe the case and suggest the way forward for it to retrieve public money stacked abroad. He said the government had to make payment to the Broadsheet or face daily mark-up of 5,000 pounds. The prime minister also quoted a State Department’s report of annual money laundering of $10 billion, which makes $200 billion during last 20 years.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the government is compelled to pass on the impact of oil prices in international market to consumers for averting further debt burden on the country. He said the country could not afford taking further loans to keep the oil prices at minimum benchmark. He said the devaluation of rupee impacted the prices of petroleum products, pulses, ghee and other imported items raising the inflation rate. He said the dollar value had surged from Rs 107 to Rs 160 during the current government’s term which also pushed the prices up.

Imran Khan also mentioned the exorbitant contracts signed by the previous government with power producing companies with a difference of Rs 3 in electricity generation and sale to the consumers. However, the incumbent government could not take such measures to further put the country under debt burden, he added.

To a question, the prime minister said having merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the people of merged tribal districts would see a positive change vis-à-vis development of their area as the provincial government would make huge spending there under a mega development package.

Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the ministries concerned for timely steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of eatables at reduced prices during upcoming holy month of Ramazan. Chairing a meeting to review prices of commodities particularly wheat and sugar, the prime minister instructed to ensure availability and price reduction of daily use items. The prime minister also instructed to keep him regularly updated regarding the monitoring of eatables’ prices and their availability till Ramazan.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said the Ravi Urban Development Project was significant for the economic and social uplift of Lahore and would generate immense job opportunities. “The completion of the project will not only increase economic activity, but also create employment opportunities through quality construction on unused land,” the Prime Minister said while chairing a meeting regarding development projects of Punjab’s provincial capital.

The meeting was briefed on the proposed projects for construction of affordable houses for the low-income group under the vision of the prime minister, in the vicinity of small towns of Punjab. Prime Minister Imran Khan directed to set timelines and initiate the project as soon as possible in view of its usefulness for the poor and low income groups.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that as Pakistan offered ample opportunities of investment, the government will extend all possible facilities to the foreign companies for investment in the country’s diverse sectors. The government, in order to facilitate the foreign investment companies, was also taking various measures under one-window operation and the policy of ease of doing business, he added.