ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the spokespersons to highlight the government performance and has barred them from responding to the opposition’s statements.
According to details, a meeting of government ministers and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokespersons was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan, in which the current political, economic and Covid-19 situation in the country was discussed.
PM Imran set up a special committee on media matters. According to Dunya News sources, the committee includes Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Shibli Faraz, Faisal Vawda and Yousuf Baig Mirza.
The committee will meet on a daily basis to discuss government performance and statements.
During the meeting, the premier – in a bid to deal with the sugar satta mafia – directed the concerned authorities to bring a new law in the country.
In order to ensure the availability of sugar at affordable rates, the prime minister directed to launch a countrywide crackdown on the sugar satta mafia. He directed the concerned authorities to take indiscriminate action against the aforementioned mafia to provide relief to the masses ahead of the holy month of Ramzan.
In this regard, the session of all federal spokespersons and senior government huddle, chaired by Prime Minister Imran, decided on an agenda to bring down essential commodity prices ahead of the holy month.
Speaking to the media after the session, Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said that the PM has directed utmost relief to the people as the holy month inches closer.
All edible and essential items must be made cheaper for the consumers and thus a direction has been made to Finance Minister Hammad Azhar to make it happen, Rasheed said.
He added that the PM has instructed the government huddle not to be bothered in the least by the opposition as it poses no threat at all.
The PM has instead ordered steps taken for cuts in the prices of sugar, flour, and lentil instead, he confirmed.
We shall duly project all the steps taken by the government in this regard and the performance thereof, the minister vowed.
Earlier on March 28, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in a crackdown against the sugar satta mafia in Karachi had arrested seven brokers involved in sugar heist.
The FIA commercial banking circle had arrested four more persons after the earlier arrest of three sugar brokers in Karachi. The accused were involved in causing an artificial sugar crisis, a spokesperson of the FIA had said.
The FIA had earlier arrested three brokers Dayaldas, Santosh Kumar and Raj Kumar in Karachi. “All three have been involved in sugar satta dealings,” FIA officials had said.
Moreover, PM Imran on Monday directed the authorities concerned to finalise a short, medium, and long-term strategy based on timelines for the development of the Information Technology (IT) sector.
Chairing a meeting on the promotion of the IT sector in the country, he called for early implementation of the strategy.
Prime Minister Imran said that Pakistan has immense potential in the IT sector. The government is taking steps on a priority basis to organise experts in information technology, especially freelancers, he stressed.
Underlining the importance of building Special Technology Zones (STZ) in the country, he said the establishment of STZs will play a pivotal role in the development of the IT sector.
PM Imran remarked that various challenges have emerged during the pandemic; however, it has also created countless opportunities for IT professionals to work from home, he added.
He was apprised that Pakistan currently has the potential to earn $5 billion foreign exchange in the IT sector; however, due to the unavailability of facilities and lack of discipline in the sector, the foreign exchange is lower than the potential.
