Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday said Imran Khan was confusing people by distorting facts, playing mind games and insulting intelligence of people through deceitful speech.

In a tweet on social media platform Twitter, he said, “This is what self-righteousness does to you: you consider yourself holy & above reproach despite flawed conduct in office. You confuse people by distorting facts. You play mind games & insult their intelligence through deceitful ways. Niazi’s speech was nothing but this.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong desire and commitment to further enhance cooperation with Australia in diverse fields.

In that regard, he mentioned the areas of trade and investment, agriculture, wheat production, livestock, cattle raising, educational and technical cooperation, direct air-links, skilled migration and people-to-people contacts.

The Prime Minister while talking to the newly appointed Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Neil Hawkins, who called on him here, also appreciated the steady progress achieved in bilateral relations over the years, a press release issued by the PM Media Wing here said. The Australian High Commissioner reciprocated the desire for further strengthening of bilateral relations and conveyed profound gratitude for Pakistan’s facilitative role in safe evacuation of their nationals and others from Afghanistan. The Prime Minister highlighted the cooperation that Pakistan continued to extend to the international community in the wake of situation in Afghanistan, particularly since August last year.

He said that Pakistan desired peaceful ties with India, based on the principles of equity, justice and mutual respect. In that context, the Prime Minister added, a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people was indispensible.

He stressed that the international community had to play a facilitative role in that regard, as it was essential for durable peace and stability in South Asia.

The High Commissioner thanked the Prime Minister for receiving him and expressed his resolve to further increase and diversify the existing ties between Australia and Pakistan.

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the authorities concerned to formulate an emergency agricultural reforms plan within two days to facilitate the farmers and uplift the sector.

The prime minister, who was presented the recommendations of eight sub-committees of different relevant sectors, said the reforms plan should be based on recommendations of the said sub committees. The prime minister, while chairing a high level meeting, said he would announce a comprehensive agricultural reforms plan very soon to achieve prosperity of the farmers, enhance agricultural production and reduce the input prices.

The recommendations presented to the prime minister included both short and long term plans.The prime minister resolved that the government would provide facilities to the farmers on emergency basis including low-cost seed and fertilizers. The meeting resolved that the companies selling substandard seeds and pesticides would be done away with and that the relevant institutions would be facilitated for introduction of quality seeds. The prime minister said the government would also provide modern equipment and facilitate the process of loans. Moreover, the silos would be constructed to help the farmers store wheat and agricultural produces. The prime minister also called for measures to enhance per acre yield before the cotton sowing season and ensure the provision of subsidy to the farmers on the agriculture inputs.