Amid uncertainty surrounding the current National Assembly’s term, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that his government will step down before completing its tenure.
Addressing a laptop distribution ceremony at the Government College Women’s University in Sialkot on Sunday, he stated, “Next month our government will complete its tenure. We will leave before the completion of our tenure, and an interim government will come.”
This statement contradicts the Prime Minister’s previous remarks, where he had hinted that his government would complete its term.
Previously, PM Shehbaz had mentioned that the coalition government’s tenure would end on August 14, and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would announce the date for the next elections in either “October or November.”
His earlier statement indicated that the current rulers were not considering dissolving the National Assembly before its scheduled expiration on August 14 this year.
General elections take place 60 days after the completion of the National Assembly’s constitutional term. However, if the government dissolves the lower house of parliament before its constitutional term ends, the election date can be extended to 90 days after the dissolution.
“Petrol prices declined due to IMF agreement.”
During the Sialkot ceremony, the Prime Minister mentioned that the decrease in the price of petroleum products, announced by the finance minister a day earlier, was a result of the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
He also stated that the IMF agreement had strengthened the rupee against the dollar, making the purchase of oil cheaper. Consequently, the government provided relief to the people by reducing the price of petroleum products.
Regarding the distribution of laptops to students by his government, PM Shehbaz stated that 100,000 machines would be provided in the fiscal year 2023-24, while the current distribution was from the allocation made in fiscal year 2022-23. He expressed gratitude to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for allowing the import of the laptops.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that Rs5 billion had been allocated for projects related to women this year. He emphasized that the nation’s success relies on the active participation of women.
“If given the opportunity again, PML-N will change the country’s destiny.”
Speaking at a cheques distribution ceremony in Lahore, PM Shehbaz stated that if given the chance in the upcoming general elections, Nawaz Sharif and the entire leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would transform the country’s fate by leading it towards progress and prosperity.
He assured that they would respect the public mandate in the upcoming polls and urged people to make their decisions based on facts, comparing the performance of PML-N governments with that of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) four years.
While praising his elder brother’s statesmanship qualities, PM Shehbaz expressed regret over the fact that despite ending long hours of load shedding, providing laptops and loans to youth, and initiating the multibillion-dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CEPC) power and road infrastructure projects during 2015, Nawaz Sharif, a three-time prime minister and their leader, was ousted from power.
He criticized PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who he claimed came to power through “fraud elections,” for continuously accusing corruption during his four-year tenure without providing any evidence. PM Shehbaz also condemned Imran Khan’s use of derogatory language and tactics against state institutions after his removal from power through constitutional means.
According to the incumbent prime minister, PTI’s tenure was marred by major corruption scandals, including sugar and wheat scams, BRT Peshawar, Malam Jabba, the sale of Toshakhana gifts, and the return of Rs60 billion embezzlement money by a UK agency. He emphasized that these undeniable facts cannot be denied by anyone.
