— Prices of petrol, electricity reduced
— IT sector exempted from all taxes
— Unemployed graduates to receive stipend
ISLAMABAD: In a move that took many by surprise, Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday announced a major relief package for the inflation-hit nation by reducing the prices of petroleum products, electricity and taking other measures, including exempting the information technology sector from all taxes.
Analysts and observers believe the prime minister announced the measures to provide relief to the inflation-hit nation in wake of the opposition’s long march and no-trust motion being planned against his government in the first week of March.
In his televised speech following his trips to China and Russia, Khan said that though the government had anticipated a further rise in fuel prices due to the Ukraine crisis he felt it incumbent upon him to take drastic measures to facilitate the inflation-hit people of the country.
“Hence, instead of increasing fuel prices, we have decided to slash petrol and diesel by Rs10 per litre,” announced the premier in a 40-minute-long address to the nation during which he discussed the country’s foreign policy, Ukraine crisis, inflation and other issues.
While regretting that the past rulers did not build dams that could have helped the country develop cheaper electricity through hydel power, Khan said that his government had started the construction of ten new dams.
“We are building 10 new dams that will be completed in the next 5 to 10 years… and domestic electricity prices will not be affected by the global inflation.”
But despite this, Khan said the government is also reducing the prices of electricity by Rs5 per unit which will ultimately reduce the electricity bills of the masses ‘from 20 to 60 per cent’.
“We have also decided that till the next budget, we will not increase the prices of [petrol, diesel and electricity].”
“The students who have graduated and are unemployed, we will give them internships so that they can earn. We will grant scholarships to students who want to pursue higher education,” he added.
Moreover, the premier while terming the IT sector as the future of the country said that freelancers, as well as companies associated with the IT sector, have been exempted from all taxes.
“We are granting 100% foreign exchange exemption. 100% exemption from capital gain tax for investments in start-ups,” he said and added that under new industrial policy which he will unveil today (Tuesday) in Lahore, the government will allow investors to establish industries in Pakistan without disclosing their sources of income.
To enhance purchasing power of consumers, the prime minister announced to increase Ehsaas Kafalat stipend by 17% to Rs14,000.
“8 million poor families will benefit from this facility,” he added.
Likewise, under the Kamyab Jawan programme, the country’s youth and farmers would be given interest-free loans while deserving people would be given subsidised loans to build their homes.
Independent foreign policy
“I always wanted that Pakistan pursues an independent foreign policy that should be in the country’s interest,” PM Imran said at the beginning of his address.
The premier said when Pakistan joined the US war on terror during former military ruler Pervez Musharraf’s era, the country paid a heavy price in terms of economic and human losses.
“I always opposed that [Pakistan] had nothing to do with the US war in Afghanistan”.
PM Imran Khan while referring to the past governments of PPP and the PML-N said: “Both the democratic governments remained tight-lipped when the US was carrying out drone strikes in Pakistan … even [former president] Zardari told one US official that ‘we did not care about collateral damage’.”
“I always opposed that [Pakistan] had nothing to do with the US war in Afghanistan,” he insisted.
The prime minister told the nation that the leaders having assets and offshore accounts abroad could never take decisions in nation’s interest and advised the people against voting such leaders.
PM Khan said his recent visit to Russia was aimed at strengthening economic ties with country was planning to import two million tons of wheat as well as gas from Moscow.
He also briefly touched on his visit to China where he attended Beijing Olympics, saying the result of the visit will be visible with the start of the CPEC’s second phase.
PM defends Peca ordinance
The premier also defended the amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016, dismissing criticism that it was being used to curb media freedom. “The Peca law was made in 2016. We are only amending it.”
He said that a leader of a country who was not corrupt or had not broken the law would never be in danger from media freedom. “Today, 70 per cent of the news is against us. This has no effect on us, but there is a reason why we have brought this law.”
The premier said “filth”, such as child pornography, was being shared on social media.
He regretted that he was also not being spared, recalling that a few years ago a journalist had reported that his wife had left him and that he had “done something illegal” at his Bani Gala residence.
“I filed a case in the courts. It has been three years, but the prime minister has not been able to get justice and the same journalist now writes that [my] wife has left the house. If this can happen with the country’s prime minister … imagine what would happen with the rest of the people.”
PM Imran said that the same journalist was locked up and beaten for three days when he wrote about Nawaz’s corruption during the PML-N government.
He said that mafias were doing blackmail under the guise of media freedom. “They have other agendas. There are journalists who are taking money, flinging filth and doing blackmail.”
The premier reiterated that the amendment to the Peca law was not related to media freedom, adding that “good journalists would want fake news to be eradicated”.
