ISLAMABAD     -    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-In- saf chairman Imran Khan was out to create hurdles in the revival of the Inter national Monetary Fund’s porgramme which was reached during the previous tenure of PTI’s government.

In a short statement in the Urdu language and shared by PM Office Media Wing, the prime minister said that the creation of chaos on roads and anarchy was a part and parcel of his agenda, aimed at fanning the flames of instability in the country. “The timid person did not allow the courts to search him as he is guilty,” he added.

He said Imran Khan did not want the poor people of the country to be lifted from the issues of price inflation and economic pressure nor desired the steering of national resources. “Imran Khan’s evasion of courts amounts to the height of cowardice,” the prime minister observed. First, he (Imran) left the IMF programme and now resisting the courts, he said, adding he (IK) had also deviated from his promises and ideals.

On the other hand, the prime minister said, Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League-N faced the worst kind of vengeance at the hands of NAB-Niazi connivance in the past. “We have faced the courts and laws in the trumpedup charges framed against our family members including sons, daughters and sisters,” he added. The leadership of PML-N endured the ordeals of death cells and braved the unfounded cases of heroin, he added.

‘Agriculture production’

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday underlined the need for enhancing agriculture production to attain food autarky and thus save the country from different economic issues.

He also directed for effective resolution of the issues by improving the supply of food grains and food chain to the public through a comprehensive mechanism. The prime minister chaired a meeting to review progress on the ongoing reforms of the Agriculture Task Force and the upcoming cultivation of cotton, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. During the meeting, the prime minister stressed upon early implementation of the agriculture reforms for increasing the agri-yield, besides making the federal and provincial agriculture research institutions more efficient. He regretted that being an agricultural country, Pakistan had been importing agricultural commodities.

The meeting was attended by Minister for National Food Security Tariq Bashir Cheema, Minister for Trade Syed Naveed Qamar, PM’s Advisor Ahad Cheema, PM’s Special Assistant Jehanzaib Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi and other relevant federal and provincial authorities.

For the production of cotton, the prime minister assigned the task of making it a profit earning produce by ensuring profit- based income to the cotton growers. He also directed for a crackdown against sellers of fake pesticides with iron hands, besides initiating strict legal proceedings against the people involved in its sale.

He also asked for ensuring the provision of quality seeds to the farmers through a transparent and effective seed certification process. The meeting was briefed about the projected overall production of cotton and the proposals for the support price. The prime minister directed for implementation of immediate and long terms measures for increasing cotton production per acre. The support price should be devised by keeping in view the ratio, per acre cost and maximum profit to the farmers, he added.

The prime minister was also briefed about the functioning of the research entities and the seed certification mechanism.

The prime minister directed for a transparent and effective certification process and urged the provinces to play their role in this regard. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday strongly condemned the violence by workers of Pakistan Tehreek- e-Insaf (PTI) against journalists in Lahore.

In a statement, the prime minister said freedom of expression was the distinction of civilized nations. “An egoistic person[Imran Khan] spread the culture of non-tolerance in the nation,” he said, adding “Imran Niazi poisoned the youth with intolerance and chaos”. “The whole nation salutes the journalists who fell victim to the brutality of PTI in Lahore. I salute all journalists who despite challenges are telling truth to the nation,” the PM said. He said that during the government of “Imran Niazi, the incidents of cruelty against journalists were rampant.

“Whoever questions Imran Niazi is tortured,” the PM said and assured that the government would take all possible measures to protect journalists.