In his address to the nation, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan announced a surprising relief and shared that Rs10 per litre in the petrol price and Rs5 per unit in power tariff for low and middle-income electricity consumers and all commercial consumers have been slashed to combat inflation.

PM Imran Khan also announced that the petrol price and power tariff would remain unchanged until the next budget.

Along with this, he said 26,000 scholarships, costing Rs38 billion will be given to students.

He said the inflation rate in different tenures of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) stayed in the double-digits.

He compared that the inflation rate is around eight per cent in the PTI’s tenure. “I accept there is inflation, but it is due to the global factors.”

He said the country was in a rough condition economically when they assumed power, adding the Covid-19 pandemic then hit the world and brought inflation.

The premier said Pakistan imports ghee, pulses, and other food items which resulted in a price hike.

Citing examples of the US, Canada, United Kingdom (UK), and Turkey, PM Imran said the developed countries also suffered a spike in inflation due to pandemic-induced disruption of the supply chain.

Speaking on foreign policy, he said they have vowed to develop an independent foreign policy to benefit the country after coming into government.

He cited Pakistan joining the war on terror started by the United States (US) as an example of failed foreign policy.

PM Imran said the US launched more than 400 drone attacks in the last 10 years of two democratic governments, compared to only 10 in the military regime of Pervez Musharraf.

He urged the nation to never vote for the politicians who have accounts in foreign countries as they could not devise an independent foreign policy due to conflict of interest.

He told that the visits to Russia and China remained successful and the nation would soon hear ‘good news’.

Talking about the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) law, PM Imran said they have amended the law made in PML-N’s last tenure to curb filth on social media.

He lamented that even the premier of the country is not being even spared, and fake news is being against him and his wife.

PM Imran shared he filed a petition against a journalist who had claimed that his wife had left home, but there has been no progress in the last three years.

He said Jang Group accused Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital (SKMH) of redirecting charity towards Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The premier said being a sportsman, he has faced criticism all his life but PECA law has become important for the country to control the filth.

He rejected the notion that it was against ‘freedom of expression’ and said the mafias are blackmailing in the name of ‘freedom of expression’. PM Imran claimed the genuine journalists would be happy with the law against fake news.

Further, he cited different international recognitions to rebuff the rhetoric that the incumbent government is inept.