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Khawaja Asif says Miftah Ismail facing ‘immense criticism’ from PML-N ranks

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Defence Minister Khwaja Asif Saturday spoke in support of Finance Minister Miftah Ismail after the former hinted that he was facing criticism within the party. 

Earlier, the finance minister said that he was “not supposed to” appear on national television the night before to announce a hike in the prices of petroleum products but he did so after being asked by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

His comments came after a clip of his appearance on a television show was shared on social media.

However, the defence minister appreciated his colleague for executing his duties “under difficult circumstances” and called him one of the “hardest working” member of PM Shehbaz’s team. 

“FM Miftah is among the hardest working members of PM’s team, accessible to all stakeholders. He is performing very well under difficult circumstances, with immense criticism from vested interests — including, and unfortunately, from within PML-N. Time to show solidarity with Miftah,” tweeted the defence minister.

The finance minister is under pressure since the government announced multiple hikes in petroleum products and the delay in the revival of the International Monetary Fund bailout programme. 

Along with this, the news of senior leader Ishaq Dar’s return to Pakistan has also added fuel to the fire as many believe that Miftah may be shown the door and asked to hand over the reins of the finance ministry to senator-elect.

The possible changeover, just a few months after the coalition government took office, has left economists and commentators concerned over its possible impact on the economy and the ongoing talks with the IMF.

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Maintaining Fertiliser Price Stability: The Need for a Continuous Gas Supply to the Fertiliser Sector

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To guarantee fertiliser price stability, a cabinet committee meeting was presided over by Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister.

Senior government officials, including Industries Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, attended the meeting.

The attendees received an update on the government’s, gas suppliers’, and fertiliser industry’s conversations. Additionally, the gas supply for the fertiliser sector was evaluated and determined to be adequate.

Throughout the Rabi cropping season, the Deputy Prime Minister ordered the fertiliser industry to maintain a continuous gas supply in order to guarantee steady production and stock levels.

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Fifth Straight Cut: PM Applauds SBP’s Policy Rate Reduction

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Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has praised the State Bank of Pakistan’s decision to lower its policy rate by an additional 2 percent, stating that the bank’s current 13 percent rate is encouraging for the nation’s economy.

He expressed optimism in a statement that the policy rate cut would encourage investment and further boost investor confidence in the country’s economy.

The prime minister said that decreasing the inflation rate also lowered the policy rate and that future inflation rate reductions will be even more pronounced.

Additionally, he expressed gratitude to the Federal Finance Minister and other officials for their work in this area.

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GHQ Attack Case: Prosecution Seeks Bail Cancellation of CM KP & Other Accused, Indicts 9 More

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25 defendants, including PTI officials, have non-bailable arrest warrants issued by the Anti Terrorism Court of Rawalpindi for their failure to show up for court proceedings related to the GHQ attack case.

Judge Amjad Ali Shah added nine more suspects to the GHQ attack indictment list during today’s ATC Court sessions, bringing the total to 98.

Among the 61 defendants who appeared in court were Shah Mehmud Qureshi and the founder of the PTI.

Among those charged are Khadim Hussain Khokhar, Mehr Mohammad Javed, Chaudhary Asif, Zakir Ullah, Azeem Ullah, Shireen Mazatri, Major Retired Tahir Sadiq, and former MPA Rashid Hafeez.

A plea to cancel the bail of 23 suspects, including Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has also been filed by the prosecution side.

In the GHQ attack, there were 119 accused in total.

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