PM Shehbaz Sharif slashes flour price by Rs15/kg in Punjab

ISLAMABAD/BEIJING: In a major relief package, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced a reduction in the price of flour after which a 10kg bag will sell at Rs400 instead of Rs550 in the Punjab in Ramazan.

The prime minister also slashed the sugar price from Rs75 to Rs70 per kg at the Ramazan Bazaars and Utility Stores till Eid and urged other provinces to enforce the prices for public relief. He asked the Punjab government to support Balochistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir governments to help them sell the two commodities at the fixed rates. He announced that the federal government would make additional payment to the Balochistan government for the purpose.

Meanwhile, China has highly appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's positive remarks on the Sino-Pakistan relations and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying they fully reflected Pakistan’s emphasis on all-weather friendship and all-round cooperation between the two countries.

“China has noticed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made positive remarks on China-Pakistan relations and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor on many occasions, which fully reflect the Pakistani side’s emphasis on China-Pakistan all-weather friendship and all-round cooperation. China highly appreciates this," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in response to a question during his regular briefing.

Wang Wenbin said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was an important pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative. "Since its launch, it has made important contributions to Pakistan's economic development and improvement of people's livelihood, and has been widely praised and recognized by all walks of life," he added. The spokesperson said China was willing to work with Pakistan to ensure the continuous advancement of the projects under construction and the smooth operation of the completed projects.

Cheng Xizhong, visiting professor of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, China-Pakistan relations would witness a broad-based acceleration in all domains. “Since being elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif has repeatedly stressed the need to speed up the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” he said in a statement.

Prof Cheng, who is also a Senior Fellow of the Charhar Institute, noted that Shehbaz Sharif had served as the Chief Minister of Punjab for 11 years and he had rich experience in government management. “He works very hard, and is always energetic and focused. Shehbaz Sharif was widely praised for his excellent management ability and Punjab Speed to achieve the set goals,” he noted.

Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called upon the international community to take notice of the recent incidents of Islamophobia that took place in Sweden and the Netherlands. “The people of Pakistan and Muslims around the world are deeply hurt by the recent incidents in Sweden and the Netherlands,” he said in a tweet. He said the international community must condemn the incidents and stressed taking steps to check such “abhorrent behaviour.” He also emphasized standing united against Islamophobia.

Earlier, the Foreign Office had said the mindless provocative Islamophobic incidents served no purpose other than hurting the sensitivities of over 1.5 billion Muslims living all over the world.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also emphasized his government’s commitment to further advance the economic dimension of the relationship with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He expressed these views in a meeting with UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi, who called on to felicitate him on assuming office. Shehbaz Sharif stressed focusing on enhanced trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, food security, and employment generation between the two countries.

He affirmed that Pakistan and the UAE had always enjoyed special relations which were firmly rooted in shared history, common faith, and geographical proximity. He also acknowledged the important role of expatriate Pakistanis in the development of the UAE, who were serving as a strong bridge between the two countries.

Shehbaz Sharif said with dedication and persistent work as the motto of the government, the new cabinet would work efficiently towards addressing problems of the people. “It is my fervent hope that federal ministers, ministers of state and advisers will provide leadership, and also resolve the problems of the people,” he said in a tweet as his cabinet took the oath. He said the cabinet had been formed after thorough consultation with Mian Nawaz Sharif and the coalition partners. He said work, work and only work was his motto.