Newly-elected Pak PM announces massive relief package

Newly elected Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced a massive relief package for public and private employees.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif bagged 174 lawmakers vote in his favour after Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNAs boycotted the election, reports DAWN.

Addressing the session, the prime minister-elect announces 10% raise in salaries for those government employees who are receiving pay up to Rs100,000 per month. He also announces to jack up pension of retired civil, and military officials by   10% from 1 April, reports The News.

Meanwhile, he also announces to increase the minimum wage of workers to Rs. 25,000 per month.

Taking the floor, Shehbaz thanked the Almighty Allah for his uncountable blessings.

He mentioned that Almighty Allah has protected the country which was also because of the hectic efforts of the leaders of the joint Opposition members.

The premier mentioned that it was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that a prime minister was ousted through the no-confidence motion.

Terming today a "historic day", he mentioned that the happiness of the people can be seen through the economic indicators. Shehbaz mentioned that the rupee regained its value — which was trading at Rs190 per dollar and closed at Rs182 per dollar today.

"Imran Khan was the person who said that when rupee gains Re1 against the US dollar then the prime minister of the country is a corrupt person now he should see that the rupee has recovered around Rs8," he said.

He acknowledged the Supreme Court's "unanimous" verdict saying that the day when the apex court gave its judgment should be marked as a "historic day" in the history of Pakistan.

'Will probe diplomatic cable'

The newly-elected prime minister said the Opposition was discussing the no-confidence motion days before Imran Khan's "concocted threat letter controversy".

"They say that this letter came to them on 7 March, but our decisions were made way before that, so, if [what the previous government claimed] is a lie, then the matter should be disclosed transparently before the public," he said.

Therefore, PM Shehbaz Sharif announced that the parliament's security committee would be given a briefing on the "threat letter" to the members of the committee in presence of the armed forces personnel and bureaucrats — the director-general Inter-Services Intelligence, foreign secretary, and the ambassador who wrote it, who has now been transferred to Brussels.

"If there's an iota of evidence that we were backed by foreign conspirators [...] then with you Mr speaker and God as my witness, I will not think for another second and resign from the office of the prime minister," PM Shehbaz Sharif said, vowing to hold an in-camera session of the security committee at the earliest.

The prime minister thanked his brother and ex-premier Nawaz Sharif for his support, while also lauding social media activists, press clubs, media houses, and lawyers for backing the Opposition's struggle for democracy.

Economy

Moving towards the topic of economy, the newly-elected prime minister said if Pakistan were to progress, then it needs to be self-sufficient on the financial front.

"...we will need to protect and respect the nation as neither was anyone a traitor nor are they traitors now," the prime minister said, noting if Pakistan's economy were to move forward, then, the government will have to use "dialogue" and not move towards a deadlock.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said hard work was required for Pakistan's progress as if only statements could move the country forward, then during PTI's tenure, we would have been among the leading nations.

"We will need to wash out the effects of the previous government by working together, otherwise, we will fail [...] our economy is in a bad situation right now," the prime minister said.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said the new government would take steps to make Pakistan an "investment heaven" for investors as he noted their capital would help the country move forward.

He announced that despite Punjab "being the elder brother" if all the other provinces remain behind in terms of development, then it is not Pakistan's development, it was just a single province's development.

"...this servant of Pakistan vows to make sure that Pakistan will develop and not just Punjab," Shehbaz said.

He said the government would reintroduce the Benazir Card and interlink it with the education sector in a bid to facilitate people whose children go to school.

"Our children should be equipped with great knowledge [...] we will reintroduce this programme with consultation," he said and lashed out at the PTI government for discontinuing it.