Federal Minister for Information Fawad Hussain Chaudhry Tuesday announced withdrawing subsidies to the industries on the gas till March 31 next year as some industries started making electricity by misusing it.

According to the 24News HD TV channel, Fawad gave a press briefing after the cabinet meeting and said that the government could not be run by giving subsidies on gas and petrol.

Talking about the decisions made by the PTI government in its cabinet meeting on Tuesday said they would now provide gas subsidies to industries till March 31 only.

The Information Minister also alleged that the gas subsidy was misused and rates of gas were increased for the Kot Addu Power Company (KAPCO) Power Plant.

He said that the industries had started generating electricity after getting the gas at cheap rates.

About the proposed laws regarding the media, Fawad said that his party government would also deal with media issues.

On the negotiations with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), he said that Afghanistan wanted Pakistan to hold talks with the banned organization.

The federal minister said the state of Pakistan wanted to give a chance to its citizens and who would recognize the constitution of Pakistan and abide by the law could be talked to.

 He said that the Pakistani government had just held talks of the matter of ceasefire with the TTP and affected people would also be a part of the talks with the latter. He added this war couldn’t last forever because 20 years had already been passed in it.

Fawad said the Cabinet had decided to set up a special fund for Afghanistan and eliminate taxes on trade with it as children were being sold only for flour there and. He said already eight children had died of malnutrition in Afghanistan so far.

The federal minister said the tax on the trade of apples with Afghanistan was not abolished. He confirmed that Pakistan was sending rice and wheat to Afghanistan to end its food crisis.

He said Afghan Foreign Minister would visit Pakistan. 

In the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the Members of Parliament to ensure their attendance at the joint sitting while instructing the Ministry of Science and Technology and Food Security to fill the vacancies.

Fawad told the media that the Islamabad Territorial Bill had been deferred to the Ministry of Law.

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