ISLAMABAD
\nPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed the authorities concerned to ensure that the impact of a reduction in petroleum prices was shifted to the masses in the form of decreased transport fares and prices of eatables.
\nThe prime minister, chairing the meeting of the federal cabinet, asked the interior ministry and the district administrations across the country to ensure the reduction in commodities prices.
\nCalling for strict action against the profiteers, he said the transport fares and eatables prices should be reduced in proportion to the 11 percent decrease in petroleum prices announced by the government.
\nApprising the federal cabinet of his visit to Iran on Thursday, the prime minister said Pakistan desired to enhance cooperation with Iran in multiple sectors. He told the meeting that the two sides had agreed to improve the security along the 900-kilometer Pak-Iran border. Both sides had emphasised the joint efforts to counter cross-border terrorism, he added. He said that the import of low-cost electricity from Iran would help uplift the remote areas of Balochistan.
\nHe told the cabinet members that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took a personal interest to ensure the completion of the 100MW Gabd-Polan power transmission line within record time as the much-delayed project. The project would ensure the power supply to Southern Balochistan, particularly Gwadar, he remarked.
\nSimilarly, he said Mand-Pishin border marketplace would create employment opportunities for the people on both sides of the border and usher in a new era of development. Prime Minister Shehbaz told the participants that the Iranian president had expressed special interest in enhancing bilateral trade, besides discussing cooperation in the fields of agriculture, science and technology and solar energy.
\nA high-level delegation led by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto would visit Iran for further deliberations on the said projects. Prime Minister Shehbaz also extended an invitation to President Raisi to visit Pakistan which he accepted.
\nBriefing the members regarding the Road to Makkah project signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the prime minister said it would help facilitate the pilgrims.
\nUnder the project, around 26,143 Hajj pilgrims would undergo the immigration process at Islamabad International Airport and would be exempted from the lengthy process at Saudi airports. The implementation of the project has been initiated from Thursday, the prime minister said, and expressed the hope that the facility would be extended to Lahore and Karachi airports by next year.
\nThe federal cabinet also approved the establishment of the Insurance Tribunal in Rawalpindi. It would incur no additional expenses as existing Accountability Court No. 4 would be converted into the Insurance Tribunal.
\nThe federal cabinet endorsed the decisions of the National Security Committee made in its meeting on May 16 and Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases made on May 11, 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed the authorities concerned to ensure that the impact of a reduction in petroleum prices was shifted to the masses in the form of decreased transport fares and prices of eatables. The prime minister, chairing the meeting of the federal cabinet, asked the interior ministry and the district […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":332281,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-332264","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n