PM Shehbaz Sharif to again address Pakistan's economic situation in Mansehra today

• PM Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz to address public gathering in Mansehra.
• Information minister says premier will speak about govt's agenda to improve economy.
• PML-N leaders, security personnel visit PML-N rally venue to review arrangements.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is visiting the Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today (Sunday), where he will be addressing a public gathering, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb confirmed.

The federal minister said that PM Shehbaz Sharif will address a public gathering in Mansehra at 3pm and express his views over the coalition government's agenda regarding the betterment of Pakistan's economy.

She further stated that PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz will also address the gathering.

PML-N leaders and security personnel visited the venue of the rally to review the arrangements on Saturday, The News reported. Former MNA Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar and his elder brother MNA Mohammad Sajjad Awan and other leaders of PML-N were among the party leaders who visited the venue.

“Shehbaz Sharif is visiting Hazara Division for the first time after assuming the office of prime minister and people will extend him a warm welcome on his arrival,” PML-N's parliamentary leader in KP Sardar Mohammad Yousaf said during an interaction with the reporters at Thakara Stadium on Saturday.

He said that the PML-N workers and people would extend a tumultuous welcome to PM Shehbaz Sharif.

"PM Shehbaz Sharif wants to pull the country out of the prevailing economic and political challenges, the PTI government had plunged the country into," Yousaf said, adding that Pakistan is suffering the consequences of the wrong domestic and foreign policies of ex-premier Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, Awan said that natural gas, electricity and road projects initiated by the PML-N government in its previous stint in power would be completed now.

PM Shehbaz announces Rs28 billion relief package

Following the decision to increase the prices of petroleum products by Rs30 per litre earlier this week in a bid to revive the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) programme for Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that the government will include a Rs28 billion package in the upcoming budget to provide relief to the masses.

Addressing the nation, the prime minister said that aside from the relief package, the government would immediately provide Rs2,000 for around 85 million people to help them fight the effects of inflation.

"This is aside from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) monetary assistance that they are already getting. This relief package will be included in the next fiscal budget," the premier said.

The premier added that he has directed the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) to provide 10kg of wheat to people for Rs400.

Charter of Economy need of the hour: PM Shehbaz

A day earlier, PM Shehbaz Sharif had said that the government is starting a process of consultation with all political stakeholders to build consensus on a Charter of Economy, which he said is the "need of the hour".

Taking to Twitter, the premier said that he, as leader of the Opposition in 2018, had proposed the idea but the then government ignored it with disdain.