ISLAMABAD    -    Prime Minister Mu­hammad Shehbaz Shar­if Monday said that the government was taking tangible and necessary steps to strengthen the economy and prioritis­ing reduction in unnec­essary imports by en­hancing exports.

He said the incum­bent government also 

faced the issues of mismanagement of the previous regime, and still in the face of such issues, it was committed to improving the economy with strenuous efforts. The prime minister was talking to a delegation of Roth­schild and Co, one of the world’s largest in­dependent financial advisory groups, who called on him, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Finance Dr Ayesha Ghous Pasha and other relevant officials. Talking to the delegation, the prime minister mentioned that Pakistan faced natural calamity in the shape of recent floods spurred by the worst climate changes. The delegation members termed the economic situation in Pakistan stable and said its talented manpower was its real strength. The present government was taking steps to take the economy on the right path, they observed. They also com­mended Pakistan Stock Exchange as among the best-performing stocks in the region. Pakistan had also created awareness, in an effective manner, about the impacts of cli­mate change at the global level, they said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Shar­if on Monday held a telephone call with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte wherein he invited the Dutch com­panies to invest in the areas of agriculture, horticulture, water management and re­newable energy. 

During the telephonic conversation, the two leaders took stock of bilateral rela­tions and expressed satisfaction at its pos­itive trajectory, besides agreeing to further enhance trade and economic relations. The prime minister appreciated the humanitar­ian assistance of the Dutch government for the flood victims in Pakistan as well as the support of Dutch water experts in prepar­ing Pakistan’s Resilient, Recovery, Rehabil­itation, and Reconstruction Framework. Both leaders further agreed to continue cooperation on issues related to climate change. The two leaders also discussed im­portant global and regional issues of mutu­al interest including the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIO­JK), Afghanistan and Ukraine.