Timely import of edible oil from Indonesia averted impending oil crisis in country: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday commended the efforts of Federal Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom Murtaza Mehmood for making timely arrangements for the import edible oil from Indonesia.

In a meeting with Industries’ Minister Murtaza Mehmood and Secretary Imdadullah Bosal, he said the import would help reduce prices of edible oil in the country.

PM Sharif said the visit of the Minister of Industry and Productions to Indonesia at his own expense to sort out the import of edible oil was commendable.

On the directive of the prime minister, Makhdoom Murtaza Mehmood visited Indonesia with an objective to defuse the impending crisis of edible oil import. The efforts led to supply of 2.5 million metric tons through 10 ships from Indonesia.

The first consignment of edible oil was dispatched from Indonesia to Pakistan during the visit of the industries minister. Meanwhile, to another commitment, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Friday said that Pakistan’s accession to the Apostille Convention would facilitate and ease a significant burden on Pakistanis traveling and living abroad. The prime minister, in a tweet, said that creating smooth processes for Pakistani citizens was the government’s priority. “Now Pakistani notarized documents will be accepted in 100+ countries,” he remarked.

Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistani citizens would be able to notarize their important legal documents such as marriage certificate, degrees and more through officials designated by Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan. Such documents would be internationally accepted without the need for any further verification, he added.

The Apostille Convention is an international treaty intended to simplify the procedure through which a document, issued in one of the contracting states, can be certified for legal purposes in all the other contracting states. Minister for Defence Production Israr Tareen called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed the political situation in the country. Israr Tareen paid tribute to PM Sharif for presenting a public-friendly budget, the PM Office said. Further adding to this, Senior Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) Balochistan Nawab Salman Khan Khilji on Friday said that the PML-N was the only Party which was capable of getting the people out of their problems. The country will soon come out from the financial crisis due to the pro-people policies of the federal government, he added.
He expressed these views while addressing a press conference at Quetta Press Club where Nazia Qureshi Advocate, Noorin Fatima Advocate, Nadia Saleem, Sania Shah announced to join to the PML-N after resigning from different parties including Balochistan Awami Party and other parties.
On the occasion, Nazia Qureshi Advocate along with her colleagues resigned from Balochistan Awami Party and expressed full confidence in the leadership of PML-N Central President Mian Shahbaz Sharif and Provincial Senior Vice President Nawab Salman Khan Khilji.
Nawab Salman Khan Khilji also congratulated Nazia Qureshi Advocate along with her colleagues on joining PML-N and said that her joining along with friends would make PML-N more active and organized in Balochistan.
He hoped that Nazia Qureshi Advocate and her colleagues would play their role in conveying the message of the Party from door to door saying that workers and leaders from different political parties were joining PML-N after despairing from other parties and Inshallah, the PML-N would sweep the general election in the country including Balochistan onthe basis of its better performances.
Replying to a question, Nawab Salman Khan Khilji said that due to poor policies of the former incompetent rulers, the worst economic crisis was taking place.
The country was in danger of going bankrupt if the government did not increase the production of petroleum products, he noted.
Responding to another question, he said that the federal government under the leadership of Prime Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, was taking all steps to provide relief to the people, the positive results of which would soon begin to come to the notice of the people.
Completion of other projects including Gwadar Sea Port will usher in a new era of development and prosperity in Balochistan and provide employment opportunities to the youth, he underlined.
Answering to question, he said that a delegation of PML-N Balochistan led by him would soon visit Islamabad and meet Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and present a five-point agenda on Balochistan issues in order to develop Balochistan.