PM Shehbaz says National Assembly to be dissolved before August 12

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif Sunday said National Assembly will be dissolved before August 12 with consultation of the allied parties, ARY News reported.

In an interview with a private news channel, he said the tenure of the National Assembly will end on August 12 and before that, the assembly will be dissolved, while the Election Commission will announce a date for the next elections.

He said the decision about the caretaker prime minister will be taken in consultation with the leader of the opposition In the National Assembly and before that he would consult all the allied parties and Pakistan Muslim League(N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif.

Talking about performance of his government, he said in the last 15 months, Pakistan was saved from default with the prayers of the people and the status and dignity of the country was restored among friendly and brotherly countries.

He further said cheap oil was bought from Russia while the government signed an agreement with Azerbaijan under which the government of Azerbaijan will offer one cargo every month at a price suitable to Pakistan. Cheap gas would also be bought from Qatar.

After COVID-19 the gas prices came down to three dollars, but PTI chief was focused on targetting the opposition and imposing dictatorship in the country and showed negligence and did not buy cheap gas, he reminded.

He stressed that no case of corruption surfaced during his tenure, adding this year there was a bumper wheat crop while the production of cotton would also be better than in many past years.

Shehbaz said Special Investment Facilitation Council was formed to undertake comprehensive economic recovery, attract foreign investment, bring about agricultural revolution, equip youth with tools of information technology and exploit mineral resources, adding all the federal and provincial governments would strive to achieve goals set by the council.

Talking about measures to provide relief to the people, he said the federal government increased the salaries of government employees of grade 18 and below by 35 percent and of above grade 18 by 30 percent besides increasing pensions by 17.5 percent. Similarly the government of Punjab also raised the salaries of its employees by the same percentage.

Super tax was imposed on the income of rich people and on big business houses related to sugar, cement and other sectors, he added. He told that taxes were also levied on tobacco sector after holding numerous meetings and scanners were imported for right valuation of the tax on the tobacco industry.