ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that the government had taken historic measures in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year to provide maximum relief to the common man. He was talking to a delegation of young parliamentarians, which called on him at the PM House.
The delegation included members of National Assembly Raja Usama Sarwar, Barrister Aqeel Malik, Barrister Danyal Chaudhry, Ahmed Ateeq Anwar, Nousheen Iftikhar, Rana Iradat Sharif Khan, Muhammad Usman Awaisi, Ammar Ahmed Khan Leghari, Dr Shaista Khan, Zainab Baloch, Saad Waseem and Shahid Usman.
The prime minister told the MNAs that Allah Almighty had given them a great opportunity to serve the people. He hoped that they would work diligently for the country’s development and prosperity, and public welfare. The government, he said, would distribute laptops among the efficient and talented students. “The government has set aside an amount of Rs 100 billion in the budget to promote the Information Technology sector, which is a historic step.”
Similarly, he said, the government had also allocated funds for the skills development and the sports sector. It was also working on several projects for skills development of the youth and to create maximum employment opportunities for them, he added.
PM Shehbaz said the government was taking steps to reduce burden on the national exchequer by privatizing the state-owned enterprises and bringing reforms in the public departments. He also expressed his government’s resolve to continue the diplomatic and moral support of the oppressed Muslims of Palestine.
During the meeting, matters of the relevant constituencies and overall political situation of the country also came under discussion.
Also, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday instructed the formulation of a comprehensive strategy to strengthen cooperation and trade partnership with Azerbaijan in the fields of economy and investment.
Chairing a high-level meeting on enhancing relations with Central Asian States, particularly Azerbaijan, in the areas of economy and investment, the prime minister stated, “Pakistan geographically offers a natural economic corridor to the sea for Central Asian states.”
He highlighted the enduring fraternal relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan, which had spanned decades. He believed that there were significant opportunities for trade and investment between Azerbaijan and Pakistan.
“Foreign investment in the country is on the rise due to the government’s business and investment-friendly policies, the prime minister mentioned.
The prime minister directed the development of a comprehensive action plan to boost trade efficiency and expand current trade between the two countries.
During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on initiatives aimed at enhancing trade volume, capacity, and trade and investment between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.
It was highlighted during the briefing that there was substantial potential for energy cooperation with Azerbaijan, and discussions were ongoing for a preferential trade agreement between both countries.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, along with Minister for Planning and Development & Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Privatization and Investment Abdul Aleem Khan, Federal Minister for Power Sardar Owais Khan Leghari, Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Musadik Malik, Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, and other senior officials attended the meeting.
MNAs call on PM Shehbaz
Members of the National Assembly from various constituencies Thursday called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and discussed matters of their relevant areas.
MNAs Rana Qasim Noon, Riaz ul Haq, Armaghan Subhani and Waseem Qadir separately called on the prime minister. During the meeting, they also discussed the overall political situation of the country., a PM House press release said
