Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced Rs 28 billion relief package for low-income households, under which Rs 2000 will be given to every low-income household every month.

Delivering his maiden address to the nation on Friday night, the premier said that these families consisted of 85 million people and this funding was in addition to the Benazir Bhutto Income Support Program (BISP).

The premier blamed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government for the current economical crisis in the country, saying that the coalition government was making its efforts to save the country from the current economical crisis and the government had accepted the challenge to save Pakistan.

Imran Khan used ‘threat letter’ for personal gains

Speaking regarding the Imran Khan’s claims about the ‘threat letter’, the prime minister said that the diplomatic letter was used for personal gains and that it was made ground to make a self-imposed impression of a conspiracy.

“Our Ambassador had rejected the notion of any conspiracy,” he said, adding that Imran Khan hurt diplomatic relations of Pakistan for his personal interests.

The premier said if Imran Khan thought his “ego” was bigger than the state, then it was his misconception, adding that Pakistan would run as per the constitution and not under the direction of one person.

Recalling PTI’s 2014 sit-in during Nawaz Sharif’s rule, PM Shehbaz said that Imran Khan had made the country descend into chaos at a time when Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled to visit Pakistan for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) finalization.

“I want to make it clear that the protection of people is the government’s priority and we have neither compromised on that nor would we do.”

The prime minister said former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his last tenure had added 10,400 megawatts of electricity and kept inflation at the ever-lowest level.

“People have to suffer from prolonged power outages because power plants of 7500 megawatt were not functional and the last government had committed criminal negligence by not importing fuel,” the premier said adding that the power plants were also not properly maintained.

IMF agreement

Speaking about the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the prime minister said that it was Imran Khan who struck the deal with the Fund and accepted the tough conditions of the IMF, which he said made the lives of the masses miserable. “It was you [Imran Khan] who raised inflation and not us,” the premier added.

Ready to take tough decisions

He said that the coalition government was ready to take tough decisions. “We will do everything to make our country progress.”

The premier said that incompetence and corruption driven politics should end.

“When we took over govt, inflation was at the highest.”

During the last 3 and a half years, more than 20,000 Billion rupees were increased in the country’s debt, the prime minister said adding that the coalition government increased the prices of petroleum products with a heavy heart.

The premier said that the PTI chairperson for his own political gains gave a subsidy which the financial conditions of the country did not allow.

“If we would have not taken this decision, we could have gone to bankruptcy,” the premier said while defending the increase in the prices of petroleum products the government had announced a day earlier.

The premier further said that he had directed Utility Stores to set the price of 10kg sack of flour at Rs400.

The prime minister said that freedom of expression was snatched away from the masses during the previous government, adding that the government had taken back Pakistan Media Development Authority to protect freedom of speech.

The premier said that the government would map out a charter of economy and announced to initiate a consultative process with all the political parties to ensure continuity of economic policies.

PM Shehbaz regretted that his suggestion of a charter of economy was rejected by the previous regime.