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Pakistanis to face ‘more difficult times’: PM Shehbaz Sharif

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  • PM Shehbaz Sharif says “companions” suggested making election reforms and announcing elections but govt plans to complete constitutional term.
  • Terms with the IMF have been finalised and the deal will close soon: PM
  • Says PTI “saw their defeat” in March, “arbitrarily” lowered fuel prices.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that the country may witness more difficult times as it struggles to steer itself out of the ongoing economic crisis.

The coalition government has recently taken some “tough” decisions, including a massive increase on petroleum prices.

PM Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing PML-N senators, said that some of his “companions” suggested making election reforms and announcing elections but the government plans to complete its constitutional term.

“We faced many challenges when I took oath as the prime minister,” the premier said.

He said that the former government had struck a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to pass on the international prices of oil and gas.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the terms with the IMF have been finalised and the deal with the Fund will close soon, barring any other conditions set by the global lender.

Criticising the PTI government further, he said that the previous government “never felt strongly about doing anything for widows and the poor”.

“They saw their defeat in March and so they lowered fuel prices,” the prime minister said, adding that they just arbitrarily made the decision.

The previous government signed a petroleum levy of Rs30 with the IMF, he said.

Speaking of lost opportunities, the premier said that “billions and trillions of treasures” are buried in Reko Diq “but we could not dig them out”.

“This is the fault of the leadership which dealt with the matter in the wrong way,” he said.

The premier said that the PTI is facing scandals of gas and wheat exports. “They gave billions in subsidies, emptied the coffers, and the cartels had a field day,” he said.

He went on to say that “it will no do good to look back and cry”.

PM Shehbaz, referring to the recently inked $2.3bn loan agreement with a Chinese consortium of banks, said: “How long will China help us?”

“China and Saudi Arabia must be wondering when Pakistan will stand on its own feet,” he remarked.

The prime minister said it was the need of the hour to set aside politics and put the state above everything else.

“If the state survives, so will our politics.”

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A police passing-out procession in uniform is attended by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam.

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In addition to receiving a guard of honour, Maryam Nawaz gave prizes to the Police Training College’s outstanding students. The principal attendee of the event scrutinised the procession.

Speaking at the event, the chief minister of Punjab stated that her government aims to boost the proportion of female police officers.”I became aware of the enormous responsibility that comes with wearing a police uniform.”

Praying that the women in uniform would serve the masses, she praised them.

Maryam Nawaz emphasised the need of the rule of law, stating that communities cannot thrive without enforcing law and order.

IG Punjab Usman Anwar attended the function with the chief minister of Punjab.

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$399 million in airline revenue is being blocked by Pakistan. IATA

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Pakistan and Bangladesh have been urged by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to promptly release airline profits that are being withheld in violation of international agreements.

“Airlines are unable to repatriate over $720 million ($399 million in Pakistan and $323 million in Bangladesh) of revenues earned in these markets, resulting in a severe situation,” an IATA statement stated.

“Money-denominated expenses like lease agreements, spare parts, overflight fees, and fuel must be paid for in a timely manner by repatriating revenues to their home countries.”

Delaying repatriation raises exchange rate risks for airlines and violates bilateral agreements’ international commitments. In order for airlines to effectively continue to offer the aviation connectivity that both of these countries depend on, Pakistan and Bangladesh must immediately release the more than $720 million that they are blocking, according to Philip Goh, Regional Vice President for Asia-Pacific at IATA.

Pakistan needs to make the difficult repatriation procedure less complicated. According to the statement, this presently includes the need to present audit certifications and tax exemption certificates, both of which create needless delays.

Approximately 425,000 jobs and $2.8 billion in economic activity were supported by Pakistan’s aviation industry prior to COVID-19. Passenger numbers are predicted to increase by more than 2.5 times by 2040 after returning to pre-COVID levels in 2023, according to the statement.

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IHC suspends the naan and roti price reduction notification.

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The head of the Naanbai Welfare Association petitioned IHC Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri.

In their petition, the Naanbai Welfare Association said that the controller general reduced the price of roti from Rs25 to Rs16 and naan from Rs30 to Rs20.

The association claimed that the relevant authorities did not consult them before making the decision. He informed the court that the decision was made without their input and that the new pricing were too low.

The district administration official informed the court that the controller of general pricing and suppliers was given the authority to determine the prices of necessary commodities such as naan and roti.

Following a legislative modification, the functions were delegated to the controller general.

Barrister Umar Aijaz Gilani, the lawyer for the Naanbai Association, argued that the controller general’s powers were not governed by Section 3 as stated in the notification.

He noted that rent and grain prices are high in Islamabad. The court queried the Islamabad district government, which was the association, about the pricing of flour before lowering the costs. “Order was passed justice to make people happy.”

Later, the court ordered a detailed answer in the matter and stayed the notification of lowering the prices of naan and roti in Islamabad until May 6.

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