Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday presided over the provincial parliamentary party meeting which reviewed strategy regarding approval of the financial year 2022-23 budget. Provincial ministers, MPAs of PML-N and PPP attended the meeting. The CM while addressing the meeting underscored that the government’s full focus was on providing relief to the common man in the budget. He said, “People are having expectations from us and we have to come up to their expectations. Constitutional crisis has been intentionally created in Punjab for three months”. Hamza Shahbaz said that despite facing all hurdles, Rs. 200 billion subsidy had been provided to the people of Punjab for the provision of subsidized flour. He said that the government would continue taking measures with sole intention of providing relief to the masses as bringing ease in life of common man was a priority. PPP to support PML-N in upcoming by-polls: The Pakistan People’s Party has decided to back the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates on the 20 vacant seats of the Punjab Assembly in the upcoming by-elections. It was announced by Punjab Senior Minister and General Secretary PPP Syed Hassan Murtaza while addressing a joint press conference with PML-N’s Attaullah Tarar and Malik Ahmad Khan at the PPP Central Punjab Secretariat, here on Wednesday. “In the country’s interest, the PPP has decided to support the PML-N’s candidates on all 20 vacant seats,” said the minister. However, he clarified that both the parties would remain political rivals during the next general elections. He said the PPP’s candidates would withdraw their nomination papers for the upcoming by-elections on the seats in favour of the PML-N candidates. PML-N lawmaker Malik Ahmad vowed that they would jointly inflict defeat on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates during the by-polls on all 20 seats. Attaullah Tarar said that there were coalition governments in Punjab and Centre, adding that consensus and unity would be maintained in future as well. He said that they were united not only on the front of elections but also on governance. To a question, the PML-N minister warned that they would take strict action in case anyone attempted to take the law into their hands. The Punjab Assembly seats had fallen vacant after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had de-seated PTI’s dissident lawmakers for voting against the party policy. Punjab CM grieved over losses in Afghanistan: Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in an earthquake in Afghanistan and extended sympathies to the Afghan brethren. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the CM expressed sadness over the loss of lives and property and assured that the people and the government of Pakistan were standing alongside their brethren in Afghanistan. The CM prayed for early recovery of the injured, and said that the sympathies of the Punjab government were with the affected families.