Pakistan continues diplomatic efforts to ease Mideast tensions: PM Shehbaz

He also referred to visits by Saudi Arabia's defence minister and Turkiye's Ibrahim Kalin, saying positive discussions had taken place., the discussions focused not only on reducing regional tensions but also on enhancing mutual cooperation in connection with an agreement involving Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia.

He said international oil and energy prices had risen sharply because of instability in the region. Turning to petroleum prices, the prime minister said petrol prices had been expected to increase by Rs15 per litre the previous Friday.

He praised Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, his team, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and the relevant committee for working with oil refineries to share their windfall profits instead of passing the entire increase on to consumers. He said the government had decided that the additional burden of Rs15 per litre should not be imposed on ordinary people.

The prime minister described the decision as timely and commended the Ministry of Energy for its efforts. Referring to the government's fuel subsidy programme, PM Shehbaz said the initiative had been successful and would continue at least until the end of December.

He said approximately 15 million people had used their subsidy tokens and benefited from the programme. The prime minister maintained that, with an average household comprising five to six members, the programme had indirectly benefited approximately 75 million people.

He said around Rs28 billion had been spent on the initiative, which he described as successful and transparent. PM Shehbaz said the Intelligence Bureau (IB) had been monitoring the programme and had identified irregularities at some petrol pumps.

He directed the petroleum minister to take strict action against the petrol pumps involved, including shutting them down and imposing heavy penalties. Turning to the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector, the prime minister criticised what he described as a mafia that had dominated the business for decades and earned substantial profits.

He said the government had introduced a new mechanism to ensure competition and transparency in LPG imports and distribution. He said the auctions would be conducted under camera surveillance to ensure transparency. PM Shehbaz added that imports would also be allowed under the competitive mechanism, while companies would display LPG prices and costs on their websites.

He praised the deputy prime minister, energy minister, finance minister and other officials for developing the new arrangements. The prime minister said profits generated through the new LPG mechanism would go to the government treasury and subsequently be used to subsidise LPG for ordinary consumers.

Turning to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), PM Shehbaz said the government had finalised a Rs160 billion development and security package for the province the previous day. He stressed that security remained the government's foremost priority in K-P.The prime minister said a large number of terrorists had been killed during recent counter-terrorism operations in the province, without providing further details.

He expressed confidence that cooperation among the armed forces, law enforcement agencies, the new provincial administration and the federal government would help eliminate terrorism. PM Shehbaz described K-P as one of Pakistan's most beautiful provinces, inhabited by brave people who had endured terrorism and made sacrifices for decades.

He also acknowledged that Balochistan had faced terrorism for a considerable period. The prime minister recalled that terrorism had largely been eliminated by 2018 but had subsequently resurfaced. The prime minister expressed hope that the menace would once again be eliminated through the efforts of security institutions and the prayers of the nation.

Returning to the energy situation, PM Shehbaz said the government was preparing for winter amid challenges affecting maritime routes. He said meetings were being held regularly to assess the country's energy requirements and ensure the availability of LNG, LPG, oil, petrol and other energy resources.

The prime minister assured the public that the government would make every possible effort to maintain energy supplies and keep power plants operational. He also said the government would try to control the pressure arising from increasing international energy prices.

PM Shehbaz congratulated Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on assuming the chairmanship of the Group of Twenty-Four (G24). He expressed confidence that the finance minister would represent Pakistan's position effectively at international forums. The prime minister also announced that Pakistan had successfully developed and tested an air-to-air missile.

He congratulated the nation on the successful test and credited Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, his team, relevant institutions, and individuals involved in the project.