The provincial cabinet met for the fifth time on Wednesday in the chief minister’s office in Punjab, with Maryam Nawaz Sharif serving as the chair.

The cabinet decided that Rs 3,900 per 40 kg of wheat will be the minimum support price for 2023–2024. The 2024–25 Wheat Procurement Policy was also accepted.

“It is my commitment to ensure that the interests of small farmers are protected at all costs,” declared the chief minister. She announced that under the best and most illustrious farmer cards in Pakistani history, small farmers will receive an interest-free loan of Rs 1.5 lakh to purchase agricultural supplies including seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides.

In order to expedite the resolution of criminal cases involving rape, child abuse, domestic violence, energy theft, and other similar offenses, the cabinet recently approved the establishment of Special Speedy Trial Courts in Punjab.

The cabinet was briefed by Advocate General Punjab regarding the proposed changes to the defamation statute and the creation of special trial courts. According to him, the degree in a defamation case needs to be finished in 90 days, and the trial needs to happen in 180 days. In order to prevent complaints of non-receipt and delay, he further stated that defamation notices would be sent out concurrently via major publications, social media, courier service, and registered mail. The cabinet was informed by AGP that the Punjab Assembly would shortly consider this proposal and request approval.

The chief minister praised the action and insisted that there should be an end to the culture of deceit and fabrication. The Alternate Dispute Reservation Act of 2019 changes and the creation of the Cabinet Standing Committee on Legal Affairs were also approved by the cabinet.

The Cabinet also approved the removal of Chairman Drug Court Gujranwala in response to misbehavior charges.

Chief Secretary, IG, provincial ministers, and other pertinent officers were present during the meeting.

 four more children were ill and at least two toddlers died in Abbottabad on Thursday after consuming apples treated with pesticide.

The specifics include that as the children were traveling home from their studies at the madrassa, they ate sprayed apples from a garden. As a result, six of the children’s conditions worsened, and they were sent to a local hospital right away.

Four children were in serious condition and two died in the hospital while receiving treatment. Five-year-old Fanan and seven-year-old Hina Shehzadi were named as the deceased.

Jam Khan Shoro, the minister of Sindh irrigation, urged Islamabad on Thursday to guarantee the province’s continuous water supply, stressing that there should never be a water scarcity for agricultural production.

Speaking on the matter, the minister stated that there is a disagreement with the federation about Sindh’s water scarcity.

“The Nara and Rohri canals are getting 7,200 cusecs of water, while there is up to a 70% shortage of water in other canals,” he stated.

Shoro continued, saying that as part of the rotation scheme, the government is guaranteeing the availability of potable water and crops.

According to him, the government is developing a different plan to remove rainwater from the Hakro, Dhoro Puran, and Left Bank outfall drains.

“A large gate will be erected at RD 210 as part of the plan,” he stated, adding that the responsible deputy commissioners of the aforementioned drains have been asked to submit a report.

He gave DC Mirpurkhas instructions to clear obstructions from the Puran and Dhoro drains.

The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) was requested by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) to release water from the Tarbela Dam above the 1,420-foot storage level one day prior.

The move, according to a Wednesday story in The News, is expected to jeopardize Sindh’s seeding of rice and cotton, the two principal Kharif crops.

The paper states that Wapda’s orders for IRSA were given against the backdrop of the tunnel project’s (T3) need for water, as using water from low-level outputs would impede development.

During the early Kharif period, which runs from April 1 to June 10, Sindh urgently requires water supplies from Tarbela Dam at Indus. Should the output of cotton crops be impacted in 2024–2025, the textile industry would need to import it at a cost in the billions of dollars.

Concerning Wapda’s inability to finish its tunnel projects, Sindh voiced its concerns during the IRSA technical committee meeting.

In order to plant rice and cotton on schedule, the provincial authorities emphasized during the conference that the Tarbela reservoir’s low-level exits should discharge the maximum amount of water possible.

It was made quite evident that there isn’t any water at all, not even for drinking, at the Kotri Barrage, the last barrage on the Indus.

Shoro told The News that the matter would be discussed at the advisory committee meeting on April 2. But Sindh must release as much water as possible early in the Kharif season; otherwise, the province will suffer an unparalleled loss in the yield of its Kharif crops.

“We oppose storing water at the level that Wapda has requested. According to the water pact, Sindh needs to discharge the most water possible; if there is a shortage, it should be shared with all the provinces, the minister stated.

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