Centre, provinces can jointly fix economy, stresses Shehbaz

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that the economic stability was a biggest challenge for the country at the moment that could be overcome with the coordinated efforts of the federation and the provinces.

“We should work together to serve the country and for the development of the provinces as with the joint efforts we can solve problems of the people of Pakistan,” PM Shehbaz said at a meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and his cabinet at the CM House here.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the federation and the provinces need to forge collaboration for the improvement of national economy.He called upon federal and provincial governments to keep very close relationship in order to turn the country into a developed nation.

He said development of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan was in fact the development of Pakistan.The Prime Minister hoped that the big investment opportunities will benefit all provinces equally. He stressed the need for forging unity and harmony among the Centre and the provinces so that positive results could be achieved, adding the purpose of his visit to Sindh was to create mutual understanding.

Referring to foreign investment, the Prime Minister made a special mention of recent visits of the delegation of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the president of Islamic Republic of Iran to Pakistan and hoped that in coming months, many foreign delegations would visit Pakistan.

PM Sharif further said as a result of February 8 elections, the people gave mandate to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Sindh, while in Punjab they gave opportunity to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). “But in federation there is a split mandate and we have to respect it,” he added.

He said his camaraderie had been developed with Chief Minister Shah, adding in case of any problem, they used to talk and sort out things immediately. “Due to such relationship, today federal and the provincial ministers are sitting together and discussing ways to face the challenges confronting the country,” he added.

PM Shehbaz expressed his gratitude to the Sindh chief minister and his cabinet for extending warm welcome with great enthusiasm.Chief Minister Shah congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on assuming office of the prime minister for second term.

Federal ministers Attaullah Tarrar, Ahsan Iqbal, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Jam Kamal, Qaiser Shaikh and members of the provincial cabinet also attended the meeting.Upon arrival in Karachi, the Prime Minister visited the Mazar-e-Quaid and paid rich tribute to the father of the nation.

News Desk adds: A top business leader of the country on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Shehbaz to extend an olive branch to his political rival incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.

During the Prime Minister’s interaction with traders community, business tycoon Arif Habib appreciated PM Shehbaz’s efforts during his previous stint in securing the bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Geo News reported.

Referring to his meeting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in June last year, the owner of top brokerage firm suggested to the Prime Minister to “shake two more hands” — one with the neighbouring country India and another with the PTI founder in a bid to ensure stability in the country.

“[…] secondly, you should also shake hand with an inmate of Adiala jail. I think these two steps will yield positive results,” Habib remarked.

Pakistan downgraded its ties, including suspension of trade relations, with India after the Modi-led government unilaterally changed the special status of the occupied valley in August 2019 — the decision that Islamabad believed undermined the environment for holding talks between the neighbours.

Pakistan has linked its decision to normalising ties with India with the restoration of the special status of the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).