Shehbaz says youth always excelled whenever given opportunities n South Asia won’t attain peace without peaceful Kashmir solution n Urges countrymen to promote tolerance, social justice n Assures to take up MQM reservations on census at PDM meeting.
ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the present government would ensure that the next caretaker government carried forward the policies of national interest to achieve consistent progress. Chairing a meeting to review the reforms in the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) here yesterday, the prime minister directed the relevant authorities to introduce reforms on priority basis in the SOEs inflicting loss to the national exchequer.
He instructed to ensure the transparency in the process of outsourcing the services as well as public-private partnership. The prime minister said the government was taking all-out measures to uplift the working of institutions at par with international standards and provide the best facilities to the masses. During the briefing, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was told that the reforms process of the SOEs was going on swiftly.
It was told that the government would ensure the inclusion of experts in the boards of the SOEs to establish modern systems and provide better facilities. The prime minister was briefed on the performance indicators of the institutions as well as the corporations and the ongoing reforms process there.
Federal ministers Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Syed Naveed Qamar, Makhdoom Murtaza Mahmood, Engineer Khurram Dastgir, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Advisor Ahad Cheema and special assistants to PM Jahanzeb Khan and Tariq Bajwa, and senior officers attended the meeting. Meanwhile, the prime minister in a tweet said that the country’s youth always proved their mettle at the international level whenever provided the right opportunities. He mentioned his yesterday’s launch of a youth sports initiative programme aimed at converging the energies of youth towards a positive direction.
PM Sharif expressed confidence that youth would excel under the patronage of the Prime Minister’s Youth Sports Initiative.
He pointed out the shortage of facilities for sportsmen in the country to compete in the games at the international level. The programme would promote sports across the country through the training of talented youth, he added.
The prime minister hoped that future governments would ensure the continuity of the programme in best interest of the youth.
Shehbaz Sharif a day earlier launched multiple initiatives for promoting sports culture and welfare of the sports persons including the Rs 5 billion Pakistan Sports Endowment Fund with seed money of Rs 5 billion. The other initiatives include the soft launch of the first dedicated Sports University, the Elite Sportspersons Development Programme and the e-sports development programme. On his Twitter handle, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated that without the just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute, South Asia would never be able to attain durable peace and unlock its true development potential.
He said the government and the people of Pakistan expressed their unflinching support and solidarity with the Kashmiris living in Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in the world on the Day of Accession to Pakistan.
The Day marked the adoption of a resolution by the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference at a convention in Srinagar in 1947 that called for merging Kashmir with Pakistan, he added.
“We strongly condemn the relentless Indian persecution of Kashmiris & grave violation of human rights and call upon the UN and international community to ensure the implementation of the UN resolutions,” he further added in a tweet.
Meanwhile, in his message to the nation at the start of Hijri year 1445, the Prime Minister urged countrymen to strive for emulating the noble teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions besides building a society featuring principles of social justice and equality.
“Let us pledge today that we will strive to emulate the noble qualities established by our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions. Let us promote tolerance, understanding and respect for each other regardless of our differences. Let us work towards building a society that upholds the principles of social justice, equality and compassion,” he said.
Extending greetings to the nation and the whole Muslim Ummah, the prime minister prayed to Allah Almighty that the new Islamic year proved to be a year of peace, progress and prosperity for Pakistan as well as the Muslim world. He also prayed that the new year also brought ease to the lives of Muslims suffering across the world and people of Kashmir and Palestine got deliverance from oppression and achieve peace, progress and prosperity.
He said the new Islamic year also reminded the moments when the family of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) sacrificed their lives under the leadership of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and became immortal in the battle between truth and falsehood.
The prime minister said that Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions sacrificed their lives to uphold the principles of truth and justice, and his unwavering belief against oppression and tyranny was an everlasting example of courage and sacrifice.
He said the said events were also a reminder of the values of compassion, justice, and unity which also taught the followers to stand up against injustice and oppression besides working for a society featuring peace, harmony, and co-existence.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that Allah Almighty had reduced the economic difficulties of Pakistan consequent to the government’s hard work and prayed for the country’s permanent riddance from the economic problems.