PM wants work on electoral reforms initiated on war footing

Imran stresses on SMEs’ promotion to take economy forward /Says govt exploring winter tourism, ski resorts feasibility

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday decided to form a parliamentary committee to bring about electoral reforms in the country.
Speaking to PTI Senator Ali Zafar who called on him in Islamabad, he called for work on electoral reforms to be initiated on war footing. “[I] have learnt a lot from the recent Senate election,” he said.
Prime Minister Imran reiterated the government’s resolve to stop the use of money and foul play in elections. He pledged that the government would take along all parties in the Senate with efforts to be made to carry out all pending legislation.
He directed Senator Zafar to contact other parties in the upper house of parliament in this regard.
On March 18, Prime Minister Imran formed a 10-member political committee to consult with all opposition parties on the electoral reforms and amendments in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law.
The committee comprising Pervaiz Khattak, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, Sheikh Rasheed, Shafqat Mahmood, Amir Kiyani, Saifullah Niazi and Shibli Faraz was tasked to hold negotiations with opposition regarding the imposition of electoral reforms and amendment to NAB laws.
Separately, Prime Minister Imran on Tuesday said that the government is giving special emphasis on promotion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to take forward the economy.
The prime minister said this while chairing a meeting which reviewed Gujranwala Development Plan and Rawalpindi Regeneration and Nullah Lai Expressway projects being implemented under regional development strategy in Punjab.
He assured that the federal government will extend every possible cooperation for the implementation of regional development strategy.
Under the proposed plan, special focus will be given to the agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors in order to fully exploit the potential of Gujranwala Division. The areas to be given special importance include knowledge and technology transfer, specialised value chain, infrastructure, development of human resource, cluster support system, inexpensive energy, communications, urban management, better coordination between rural and urban markets, rural development and management, environment, etc.
On the occasion, the premier was also briefed about the Nullah Leh Expressway project and the best possible use of land around it.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Imran said that this project will play an important role in transformation of Rawalpindi city. He said that it will address problems of the city as well as create an economic activity. He called for timely completion of the project.
WINTER TOURISM PROMOTION:
In a tweet, Prime Minister Imran said on Tuesday that the government is working on ski resort feasibility to promote winter tourism in the country.
The prime minister said that Deosai, the high-altitude plateau in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), has turned out to be the country’s first ever winter ski traverse. He shared a number of pictures of the local and foreigner skiers traversing in the snows of Deosai.
Recently, a ski traverse event was held by the Tourism Department of GB at Deosai National Park to encourage tourism in the area.
Deosai plateaus are considered the second-highest plateaus in the world. It is situated at an average elevation of 4,114 metres (13,497 ft) above sea level in GB. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Deosai plateau hosts the only stable population in the region and is important for its continued survival.

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