Subsidy through relief package on the cards

Meeting considers proposal for over 1,000 fair price shops in Punjab

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz has asked the officials concerned to provide genuine relief to the people by subsidising the prices of flour, ghee and sugar through a package that should be given the final shape in the coming days.

Chairing a meeting in which the broad contours of the Chief Minister’s Relief Package were reviewed, he said the price hike had made the life of common people miserable as former prime minister Imran Khan had only offered false promises to them.

The participants of the meeting considered a proposal to set up more than 1,000 fair price shops across Punjab. He said he was endeavouring to solve the problem of price hike in order to provide relief to the people.

The chief minister urged the officers to take practical steps for overcoming inflation and announced that he would visit the districts and check the prices of edibles.

He said the government had no other priority except to give relief and serve the masses. The CM exhorted the officers to play a vigorous role to reduce prices.

Several members of Punjab Assembly, leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and senior officers attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, the chief minister said in his message on International Families Day, “It is our moral, social and religious duty to deal with love, courtesy and affection with every family member.”

He said unfortunately an extremist approach and intolerance had been promoted in the society under an agenda, which had badly affected the fabric of families.

“Ensuring the unity of families is the hallmark of eastern traditions,” he said.

The chief minister said his team was like a family to him.

In a statement, Chief Minister Shehbaz condemned a suicide explosion in North Waziristan and expressed his heartfelt grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of three security personnel and three children in the incident.

The chief minister also condemned the murder of two members of the Sikh community in Peshawar.