PM Imran to announce mega relief package soon: Fawad
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, October 27. PHOTO: PID/FILE
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said Prime Minister Imran Khan would soon be announcing a 'Mega Relief Package' for the direct facilitation of over 10 million citizens bearing the brunt of global inflation.
Talking to the media after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) core committee meeting on Monday, he said two major agendas including a mega relief package to control inflation and the upcoming local government elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa came under discussion.
Discussing global fuel prices, the minister said that the core committee expressed concerns over the constant increase in fuel prices in the international market. "Though the government has taken numerous steps to prevent its impact on the masses, the concerning question is how long can it be controlled," he added. The meeting also discussed an action plan to deal with energy issues, he said.
"There has been confusion that either the elections of mayors of cities and districts in Punjab would be held directly or indirectly. It has been decided that the elections will be held in a direct way and the cities will elect their own mayors through direct elections," the minister said while divulging details about upcoming local government polls in the two provinces.
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"This was the promise made by the prime minister to the party from the very first day that he would ensure direct democracy. Now, its preparations are in final stages," he maintained. Fawad said the process for nomination of candidates for local body elections would be started soon as all the preparations had been finalized in that regard.
PTI party workers especially in the Punjab have been told to mobilize their personnel, he said, adding that similarly campaigns for local body elections were also being run in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
He added that the core committee also discussed issues pertaining to the Election Commission of Pakistan including the notices served to him and Minister for Railways Azam Swati and called for their withdrawal.