ATTOCK: Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said inflation has become a global phenomenon due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing various issues.

Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of state of the art mother and child hospital in Attock, the premier said that among the oil-importing countries, Pakistan has the lowest prices for petrol and diesel.

The premier said that inflation had occurred globally due to the Covid-19 pandemic causing various issues such as supply shortages, trade closure, lockdowns, reduced buying and selling.

He said to control the inflation, Ehsaas Roshan Program is being implemented throughout the country under which around 30 percent price subsidy will be provided on flour, pulses and ghee for the poor.

He said that the PTI government's foremost priority is to uplift marginalized segments of the society and bring less developed areas at par with the developed region.

"If we succeed in this mission during our five-year tenure, it will be considered as a great success of the PTI government, he said.

The Prime Minister said every citizen of Punjab will have health card by March next year, while health insurance has been ensured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the health system being introduced by the present government will attract investment from private sector, adding that the government will provide land to the private sector at cheap rates to construct hospitals in rural areas.

He said the country's far-flung areas especially needed such facilities, regretting that Pakistan was among the countries where a large number of women died during pregnancy.

"A country which cannot provide treatment to women during pregnancy, it is shameful for us," he said.

Khan said five mother and care hospitals are being constructed, and they will be completed within two years.

The Prime Minister said the government is focused on long term projects that will benefit the country's economy.

He said exports are increasing and industry has flourished. He said new projects are being launched where overseas Pakistanis can invest, adding that these investment opportunities will help the country in wealth generation.

Speaking about the soaring sugar prices in Pakistan, the premier said that Sindh shutting down three mills all of a sudden contributed to the hike in the price of the commodity.

He said that when the three sugar mills in Sindh shut down, there was a sudden drop in supply and then prices rose to Rs140 per kg.