CJP did not criticise legal team in extension verdict, says PM Imran

LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Saturday that Chief Justice of Pakistan Khosa did not criticise the government's legal team in the short order issued by the court in the General Bajwa extension case. 

The prime minister was addressing a signing ceremony of Service Level Agreement between Punjab Land Record Authority and major private commercial banks for rapid agriculture loans.

However, Prime Minister Imran avoided speaking more on the matter.

"The matter has been solved now, I don't want to talk on it further," he said. 

The prime minister heaped praise once again on Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. 

"Usman Buzdar does work quietly and people don't even get to know about it," he said. "He should publicise his work a bit so people get to know about it."

The development comes a day after the Government of Punjab shuffled the police and bureaucracy.

During his speech, Prime Minister Imran also lashed out at political rival and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

"Fazlur Rehman came to Islamabad to win diesel permits," he said.

The prime minister said that there was a mafia in the country which was afraid that their corruption would be exposed and they will be thrown in jail.

Economy will take off when agriculture grows: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan's economy will prosper when the agricultural sector will grow.

“We have provided a common farmer the opportunity by which he can now procure loans easily,” Imran said.

He also highlighted the fact that 95 per cent farmers own less than 12 acres land and they are the ones who were in greater need for loans.

"Rs1000 billion credit has been availed by farmers which is a big thing." Imran said.

"In the history of Pakistan, this is the largest credit given to the farmers. This means slowly and gradually our economy is picking up," he said.

Prime Minister Imran said that it had become very hard for small farmers to procure loans, by this agreement farmers were sure to avail benefit.

The data on which loans were released to the farmers in the past was not up to the mark, he noted.

“This is just the start in helping out the farmers of the country,” he said.

The government has also started various programs which will help the needy and poor people, he said.

“Government’s economic initiatives aim at uplifting and reducing disparity between the rich and the poor,” he said.

“We have started programmes to help out the poor and needy people, and the government also plans on providing loans to the youth on easy terms and conditions,” the prime minister said.

He also informed the audience about the Ehsas Programme in which the government aims to empower the youth.