Govt striving to reduce inflation: Shafqat

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood on Tuesday said the government was striving to reduce inflation so people would listen good news in that regard in coming few days.

Talking to a private news channel, he said the government was preparing a package for providing relief to the people and it would be announced soon.

The minister said prices of commodities had increased in the country, adding the government had taken decision to import wheat for controlling its shortage.

He said a package would be announced for the farmers soon as the government was working to facilitate them.

He said the opposition could criticise the government but it should avoid to malign the national institutions for achieving and protecting their personal objectives.

Replying to a question, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan would not facilitate to anyone who had looted public and national wealth ruthlessly, adding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was still popular among the people.

Shafqat Mehmood said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders could openly criticise the government but they should avoid to adopt practice of defaming the national security institutions as well as others.

To another question, he said Pakistan would continue its moral, diplomatic and political support to the people of Kashmir as the prime minister had highlighted the Kashmir issue at national and international fora with efficient manners, adding he (PM) had also exposed the real face of India by highlighting its atrocities against minorities before the world which it adopted against the oppressed people of occupied valley.

He said people should follow the standard operating procedure (SOPs) against the COVID-19 because the pandemic was not completely ended in the country and its second wave had started.

The government was not going to close all the educational institutions because the situation was not too dangerous yet but those institutions could be closed where some coronavirus cases were reported, he added.

War against coronavirus and terrorism was not ended in the country, he said.

Replying to another question, he said reshuffling in the cabinet was the prerogative of the prime minister.