Shehbaz Sharif says ‘a particular political faction’ is creating instability by taking to streets n Calls for national unity to alleviate poverty n Admits coalition govt put their political interests at stake by accepting IMF conditions n Hopes deal with IMF will soon be materialised.
ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said setting aside personal likes and dislikes and forging national unity was a must to alleviate poverty and make Pakistan an economic tiger.
The prime minister while chairing a review meeting on the implementation of the National Action Plan attended by civil and military leadership said that the national unity was the only way forward to save Pakistan and make it a great nation.
He told the participants that after a terrorist attack in Peshawar on February 3, the civil and military authorities had held a seven-hour long session and taken several decisions. He said after an attack on the Karachi police office, the personnel of Sindh Police, Rangers and Pakistan Army bravely fought the terrorists. He also prayed for high ranks in the paradise for the soldiers martyred during the operation.
The prime minister said after the terrorist attack on the Army Public School of Peshawar, the national leadership had formulated a National Action Plan. He said the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had invited all the national leaders, including those “who did not want to see the matter straightforwardly”, however, the decisions were made to revive peace in the country.
He told the participants that after the Peshawar attack, the government also invited all the stakeholders but that particular party did not bother to attend the meeting. “They still want to resolve the matter on the streets that is highly condemnable,” he remarked.
The prime minister said Pakistan currently faced economic challenges and expressed the hope that the situation would improve after the matters with the International Monetary Fund were finalised in near future.
He maintained that though the government was compelled to accept strict IMF conditions, the state of Pakistan was above all. Even the government’s coalition parties also put their political interests at stake for the sake of the country and to improve the economic situation.
He said cooperation by the friendly countries was no less than Allah’s blessing, but the foremost priority should be to “put our own house in order otherwise no one will come to our help“. Mentioning the killings and arrests of terrorists during different military actions, Prime Minister Shehbaz said the security agencies were making their efforts to ensure the security of citizens. “If we act egoistically in this situation too, and compromise over Pakistan, this is not politics,” he commented.
The prime minister said for the security of future generations, it was a must for all to realise the sensitivity of the situation. He recalled that Pakistan had sacrificed around 83,000 lives of its soldiers, politicians, and their families, and common citizens to restore the “peace for the world.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says development of Balochistan is one of the topmost priorities of the government. He was talking to Minister of State for Power Hashim Notezai who called on him in Islamabad on Friday.
During the meeting, overall political situation of the county as well as matters related to power division were discussed.