PM pledges to pass on economic gains to public once regional peace is fully restored

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the government presented a people-friendly budget despite tough economic conditions and vowed to pass on the benefits of its economic policies to the public once peace is fully restored in the region.

The Prime Minister made the remarks during a meeting with women parliamentarians belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Islamabad. He welcomed the lawmakers and thanked them for their active participation in the ongoing budget session.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said the government had made all possible efforts to provide relief to the public through the budget, adding that it included measures to empower women and increase their participation in national life.

“Empowering Pakistani women to play a full role in national development is among the government’s top priorities,” he said.

Referring to the recent agreement between Iran and the United States that ended more than three months of conflict, the prime minister said tensions in the region had eased and efforts to establish peace had borne fruit, while thanking friendly countries for their support for mediation efforts.

“We are grateful to friendly countries who have given their full support to efforts to establish peace,” he said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz particularly praised the role of Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other members of the government team in the mediation process.

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He said Pakistan remained actively engaged in efforts to establish peace from the outset of tensions.

The Prime Minister said the vision of economic development of Pakistan and other countries could only be realized through the establishment of lasting peace in the region and the world.

“Over the past few months, the government has made every effort to protect the public from the global wave of inflation,” he said, adding that, by the grace of God, the country had avoided the major disruptions and fuel shortages seen elsewhere.

The premier said the federation and provinces had worked together to maintain economic stability during the recent crisis and thanked the provincial governments for their cooperation.

“In a difficult economic context, a citizen-friendly budget has been presented, which will accelerate the wheel of industry and promote an export-based economy,” he said.

The Prime Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to transmit the benefits of economic stability to the population once the situation normalizes.

“Once there is peace in the region and normalcy returns, the positive economic impacts will be passed on to the public,” he said.

Discussing priorities for the upcoming budget, Prime Minister Shehbaz said the government would remain focused on national interests, particularly increasing water reservoirs and promoting IT, agriculture and minerals sectors to strengthen the economy.

He also thanked provincial governments for their support during the crisis, saying better planning by the government team had helped minimize public hardship and enabled the launch of important relief programs for middle-income and economically vulnerable groups.

“It is not possible for the people of this country to make sacrifices while the elites continue to enjoy privileges,” he said, while mentioning that austerity measures had been implemented within the cabinet and government institutions.

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According to the prime minister, the government sought to reduce people’s hardship through a 128 billion rupees subsidy program and a massive austerity drive.

“All these efforts are the result of the collective struggle of the Pakistani team, and Inshallah, this Pakistani team will place Pakistan among the ranks of the developed countries of the world,” he said.

The women parliamentarians paid tribute to efforts to promote peace at regional and global levels and appreciated the Prime Minister and the government’s economic team for including in the budget measures to empower women and expand access to education and development opportunities.

The lawmakers also presented suggestions regarding ongoing public welfare projects in their constituencies and proposed measures related to education, health, youth employment, industry, communications, food security and other sectors.

The meeting was attended by several women parliamentarians along with Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, General Affairs Unit Minister Rana Mubashar Iqbal and Special Assistant Talha Barkki.