Islamabad   -   Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday directed for third party validation of all development projects with outlay exceeding two billion rupees.

He was chairing a meeting in Islamabad, regarding electronic procurement, e-Pak acquisition and disposal system. The Prime Minister said government is taking concrete steps to ensure transparency in all kinds of procurement procedures. He directed for third party validation in procurement process to effectively redress grievances and concerns in this regard. Shehbaz Sharif said the system for redressal of complaints about procurement should not be under the procuring agency and rules should be amended in this regard.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the delay in implementation of e-procurement project, he directed to complete the project within one month. On the occasion, the Prime Minister was briefed that e-Procurement project was started in 2017 with funding from World Bank. He was briefed that total project cost of e-procurement is 45 million dollars and it has been implemented in 37 ministries and over three hundred procuring agencies of the federal government so far. MoUs have also been signed with the governments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir regarding e-procurement.

PM demands immediate action on UN report on Palestinian humanitarian crisis

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday urged the international community to take immediate action on the recent UN report by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighting the forced displacement of Palestinians and food insecurity among children.

The report serves as fresh evidence of Israel’s crimes against Palestinians, with the UN revealing that not a single day passes without the bloodshed of innocent Palestinians. The report also notes that Israeli forces are targeting Palestinian children, with a clear intent to eradicate the Palestinian population, the prime minister said.

It has been 322 days since the genocide of Palestinians began, PM Shehbaz Sharif said adding that the forced evacuation of 250,000 Palestinians from their homes in August was a challenge to international institutions, international conscience, and international law.

Furthermore, he highlighted that the pace of Israeli oppression could be gauged from the unjust eviction of 146 Palestinians from their homes in just two days.

“The report of the United Nations agency confirms that on the one hand, the genocide of Palestinians with deadly weapons continues, on the other hand, hunger is being used as a weapon.”

The prime minister said only one percent of children in Northern Gaza while six percent of children in the southern part of the city were getting food.

Israel has accelerated the massacre of common Palestinians by pouring fire and explosives from the air, land, and sea, he said.

“If the Israeli state, which commits crimes against humanity, is not brought to justice, the international institutions themselves will be brought to justice.”

The prime minister highlighted that the reports of international organizations were a serious indictment against Israel, the murderers of humanity should be punished and the oppressed should be protected.

He reaffirmed his commitment that Pakistan would speed up the delivery of food to Palestinians, especially children.