Discusses Senate polls with Sindh, KP governors
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday directed to activate the Punjab Cooperative Department (PCD) to ensure financial assistance to farmers.
This was directed by the prime minister during a meeting with Punjab Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Cooperatives Raja Basharat.
The provincial minister apprised the prime minister of the changes being made in the province to bring the old laws in line with the existing rules. He said that the Punjab Provincial Cooperative Bank (PPCB) would be restructured and made an active institution for the betterment of agriculture and farmers. He added that the bank would be made fully operational and its closed branches would be reopened.
He said that other important issues, including reconstitution of the board and recruitment on vacant posts, would be completed within three months. He told the premier that amendments would be made in the existing policies and laws of the bank to make it useful for the consumers.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Law Farogh Nasim and PM’s Advisor on Interior and Accountability Shahzad Akbar met with the premier in Islamabad.
During the meeting, they discussed important legal and constitutional matters, the way forward for resolution of problems, and future strategy. The premier was apprised of the strategy for taking court cases to their logical conclusion in a swift and prompt manner.
Farogh briefed the premier that 99.5 per cent cases received by the Law Ministry have been completed as 100 cases are being completed on a daily basis. The premier appreciated the pace of concluding court cases.
In another meeting, the prime minister directed the concerned authorities not to create any hurdle in the protest movement of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)–an alliance of 11 opposition parties.
According to the details, the prime minister allowed the PDM’s planned protest in front of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and directed Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed not to create any hurdle in the PDM’s protest.
He said that the opposition parties may exercise their right to protest. However, during the meeting, the premier issued directions to take action against those violating the law.
On the other side, the ECP has called a meeting today under the chairmanship of chief election commissioner to formulate a strategy in the wake of the PDM’s protest in front of its office on January 19.
Meanwhile, Governors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, Shah Farman and Imran Ismail respectively, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Saifullah Niazi called on the prime minister.
During the meeting, the Senate election, Kashmir issue, by-election and prevailing political situation in the country came under discussion.
According to sources, the premier gave an important task to the Sindh governor with reference to the Senate polls after an in-depth discussion over the political developments. “The governor will soon begin meetings with political stakeholders in this regard,” they said.
The prime minister is likely to visit Karachi next week.
It is pertinent to mention here that the PTI has approached its coalition partners in the federal government, MQM-P and PML-F, for devising a joint strategy against the incumbent Sindh government–led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)–in Senate elections and by-polls.
On January 1, the PTI approached its coalition partner in the Centre, PML-F, to discuss a joint strategy for by-polls in the Sindh province and Senate elections.
According to details, a PTI delegation, headed by Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi reached out to the PML-F, where they were welcomed by Nand Kumar and Sardar Abdul Rahim.
