Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday again claimed that Pakistan was still the cheapest country in the region, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

Talking to newsmen in Lahore, he said that farmers had earned Rs400 billion courtesy better crops’ production in the country this year. 

He said both Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar and Minister for Defence Production of Pakistan Zubaida Jalal would visit Gwadar to listen to the grievances of people there and submit to Prime Minister Imran Khan so that their issues could be resolved. 

Informing that the gas reserves in the country were depleting at the rate of nine per cent every year, Fawad said there would be no gas in the country in years to come. 

He said that seven-day transit visa had been approved for the Afghan citizens.  

Regarding the issue of use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in elections, he said it was the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government which had first raised the issue in 2012. “And it was in 2016 when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was in power that the subject was discussed at official level,” he added. 

He called upon political parties to play their role for the introduction of EVMs in the country.

The minister said when there was a price hike in Karachi, the entire country suffered. 

He counseled the Sindh government to concentrate on reducing the prices of essential items rather than getting annoyed with the federal government.