ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan is hopeful of finalizing the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this month. In an interview on Monday, the prime minister said: “We are still very optimistic that the IMF program will materialize.” Our ninth review by the IMF is consistent with all terms and conditions and hopefully there will be some good news this month,” he told JEE News. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s swearing-in ceremony in Ankara I was there to participate.
“We have fulfilled all the conditions. I repeat, every single requirement of the IMF has been met as per previous operations,” he asserted. , “Some of these actions are usually completed after board approval, but this time the IMF requires that these actions be completed before board approval. , that is why we have met him,” JEE news quoted him as saying. The prime minister said that the people of Pakistan faced challenges in the past, and if necessary, they will rise again. He said that His government has been able to meet the challenges facing Pakistan in the best possible way with the help of its people and brotherly and friendly countries.
He said that Pakistan has been facing several problems since April 2022, when the current government took over after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was dismissed in a no-confidence vote. He said that the problems are the result of the previous government’s policies. He said that in April 2022, Pakistan was on the verge of default as the then government had violated the IMF agreement and the economy was in shambles.
“Then we have the catastrophic floods in August 2022. Coupled with this we are facing rapid inflation due to the international situation,” he added. Regarding the May 9 vandalism, he said that PTI chief Imran Khan was facing charges of “serious graft, corruption, and wheeler-dealing”, stressing that “the law must deal with it.” Will be”.
The prime minister added that “he [Imran Khan] had been mentally preparing his people for a long time, his band of thugs as he would call them, to react violently if arrested.” ” Shahbaz said, “He [Imran] planned this very serious move against the state of Pakistan. He incited his own people. There is proof beyond any doubt. He added, “Khan’s supporters were attacked by buildings. They were directed to set arson, attack institutions and desecrate graves and monuments.
The prime minister added that those who attacked civilian installations would be prosecuted under civilian law and those who attacked military installations and desecrated institutions would be prosecuted under the Military Act. will
Regarding cases under the Military Act, the Prime Minister explained that “once the judge passes sentence, the defendant has two appeals”, one to the High Court and then to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He said that the bottom line of the whole process was to ensure that justice was delivered so that this could never happen in Pakistan in his lifetime.
Will any civilized country allow such vandalism against the state, which happened in Pakistan on May 9? he questioned. The Prime Minister cited the events that took place on January 6, 2021 at Capitol Hill in Washington.
He said that we are not criminals who should be prosecuted and punished severely so that such an act does not happen again in the history of America. The prime minister congratulated the Turkish people on President Erdogan’s re-election, calling it a “wonderful development”. “I will work very closely with my brother, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is a visionary leader and a committed man who believes in public service.
“I hope that our relations will be much higher in terms of brotherhood, understanding and economic cooperation,” he added. He added, “I always maintain, and I mean it, that our two brother countries are like one soul that beats together.
“We speak different languages, but we understand what we are saying from our hearts. So, I think this is a great opportunity.” He expressed confidence that the two countries will promote cooperation in the near future with a focus on areas such as biogas, solar energy and hydropower to increase trade and promote mutual development. Meanwhile, chairing a consultative meeting with the leaders of the coalition parties on the Public Sector Development Program (PADP), the Prime Minister said that the next financial year will be a year of economic growth for Pakistan, and the government will take advantage of it. The policy is being adopted. Despite the difficult economic situation, resources are available at best.
The Prime Minister said that public welfare, development and business-friendly policies will be a key part of the next fiscal year’s budget. In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, it was said that the leaders and representatives of the coalition parties expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for taking his allies into confidence and including their proposals in the budget as historic.
The leaders of the coalition parties gave their suggestions for the development budget, which the Prime Minister directed the Finance Minister to consider for the upcoming budget. Shahbaz Sharif said that consultation of allied parties is very important in every initiative. He noted with satisfaction how the ruling coalition saved the country from economic and political crisis through mutual cooperation and transcending its own political interests.
The Prime Minister said that the size of PSDP is being increased to 950 billion rupees in the next financial year to accelerate the growth rate and employment opportunities. He said that significant amount is also being kept for the development and reconstruction of flood affected areas.
The meeting was informed that the National Flood Response Programme, which had been delayed for years, was being restarted. The meeting was also given a detailed briefing about the budget figures and the proposed projects under the development budget.
In the meeting, Federal Ministers Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Maulana Asad Mahmood, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Maulana Abdul Wasi, Syed Aminul Haq, Agha Hassan Baloch, Sardar Israr Tareen, Advisor to the Prime Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Ministers of State Hashim Notizai, Ehsanullah Riki, M. NAZ Aslam Notizai and others participated. Bhutani, Mohsin Dawar, Sardar Hussain Babak and MQMP convener Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and relevant senior officials attended the meeting.
Federal Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Balochistan National Party Chairman Sardar Akhtar Mengal participated in the meeting through video link.
Meanwhile, presiding over another meeting, Shahbaz Sharif directed to take special measures for the poor and middle class. The Prime Minister decided to give direct subsidy to the farmers on fertilizers and also directed to prepare a comprehensive plan in this regard. He said that farmers should be supported in converting their tube wells to solar energy. He said that after the reduction in oil prices in the international market, the government also reduced the prices of petroleum products.
Shehbaz Sharif was directed to expand the scope of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) so that no deserving widow should be excluded from the BISP data. He said that under the Prime Minister Youth Loan Program, loans should be provided to more youth on soft terms, while the youth section should also be facilitated in the field of information technology, which will also help in increasing IT exports.
He lamented that the previous government had fostered negative tendencies among the youth by promoting hatred and giving sticks and petrol bombs in their hands. He said that we will ensure the development of the country by utilizing the energies of the youth in the best way. The meeting was attended by Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Ahad Cheema, Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation Shahzia Marri, Minister of State Dr. Mossadegh Malik and others.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif was met separately by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), and Federal Minister for Communications, Maulana Asad Mehmood. According to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office, they discussed the upcoming budget for the financial year 2023-24 as well as the overall political situation in the country. Meanwhile, speaking to the media outside the Parliament House, Khawaja Asif said that the defense budget for the next financial year has not been finalized yet. He said that the consultation on the defense budget is ongoing.
He said that in the upcoming budget, the conservation policy will be followed by allocating for all sectors to reduce the additional expenditure. He said that the government is taking steps to provide targeted subsidy to those affected by inflation in the budget.
