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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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Lahore, PP-161: LHC deems the ECP recounting order null and invalid

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Farrukh Javed, the victorious candidate, filed a petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order to recount the votes in PP-161 before a single bench of the high court, led by Justice Shahid Karim, was formed.

The bench dismissed the ECP’s order to recount the votes in the constituency and accepted the petition.

The PML-N candidate Umar Sohail filed a petition for a vote recount with the electoral commission, according to Unmute Farrukh Javed MPA’s court plea.

Per the petitioner, the electoral commission issued a notice of vote recount after granting the second-place candidate’s request.

In his view, the election process was not yet over when the ECP issued the order for a vote recount.

The ECP’s order for the recounting of ballots in provincial constituency PP-161 was revoked by the bench after it allowed the petition.

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The LHC has issued a summons regarding the policy on wheat procurement.

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The court was considering a petition filed by the Punjab farmers challenging the province government’s decision to decline purchasing wheat from them.

The petitioner alleged that the government is legally obligated to procure wheat from farmers at the designated price and had publicised a policy to purchase wheat from farmers at Rs 3,900 per maund. However, the government has failed to put this policy into effect.

The Punjab government was scheduled to commence the procurement of wheat from farmers on April 22. However, there has been no progress thus far in the wheat purchase, thereby exposing farmers to the risk of selling their harvests at reduced prices as a result of rainfall.

The petitioner implored the court to mandate the government’s procurement of wheat from farmers and to initiate measures against the mafia.

Punjab farmers have filed a petition with the Lahore High Court (LHC) to challenge the government’s decision to not purchase their wheat.

Following an initial hearing on the case, Justice Shahid Karim, the judge of the LHC, requested a documentation of the Punjab government’s choices pertaining to wheat purchase.

Punjab’s farmers are currently protesting the government’s decision to postpone the purchase of wheat from them.

Yesterday, insiders from the Food Department disclosed that the Punjab government has not yet made a decision regarding the procurement of wheat.

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Lahore experiences a winter-like ambiance following rainfall.

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Lahore’s maximum temperature has significantly decreased due to recent rainfall in the province capital over the past 24 hours.

Jail Road saw a rainfall of 8.5 millimeters, Gulberg received 10 millimeters, and Lakshmi Chowk received 14 millimeters of rainfall. In addition, Upper Mall received a rainfall measurement of 5 millimeters, Mughalpura received 3.5 millimeters, and Tajpura received 3 millimeters.

In addition, Nishtar Town received a rainfall of 1 millimeter, Pani Wala Talab received 12 millimeters, Farukh Abad received 4 millimeters, Gulshan Ravi received 20 millimeters, Iqbal Town received 6 millimeters, Samanabad received 8 millimeters, and Johar Town received 1 millimeter.

The city’s electricity transmission infrastructure has been significantly affected by the rain, resulting in the tripping of over 100 Lesco feeders. Multiple localities had power outages as a result of tripped feeders and other technical malfunctions.

Power outages have resulted in substantial discomfort for people in several localities, including as Manawan, Batapur, Sabzazar, Gulshan Ravi, Samanabad, Pir Nasir, Mughalpura, Shalimar, Mustafa Abad, Baghbanpura, Ferozpur Road, Islampura, Qila Gujjar Singh, and Walton Road.

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