Govt stabilizes economy with allies’ support

F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said without the support of allies, the government could never have done the difficult task of reviving the country’s economy alone.
Talking to former Prime Minister Senator Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and member National Assembly (NA) Ali Musa Gilani here, Shehbaz Sharif thanked Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for supporting all decisions of the government. During the meeting, Yusuf Raza Gilani paid tributes to the prime minister for improving the country’s economic situation and providing splendid leadership during a difficult time. They also discussed the overall political situation of the country. Earlier, PML-N leader and former mayor Rawalpindi Sardar Naseem called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed the overall political situation in the country.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif also assured the Chinese investors to further simplify the procedures for the companies working in Pakistan, especially under the umbrella of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and implement them in letter and spirit.
He said under the CPEC, the two countries were entering into a new era of cooperation, therefore the government was further streamlining and simplifying the procedures to facilitate the Chinese companies and investors working in the country.
PM Shehbaz assured the Chinese investors that the difficult time for them was now over as “We are going to do this under one umbrella as a one window operation and this I mean in letter and spirit…not just words but true implementation”.
Addressing an award ceremony here, Shehbaz Sharif said that the Chinese government and companies had contributed towards Pakistan’s industrial promotion in various areas and their contribution had not only led to creating job opportunities and industrial production but also further strengthened the bilateral economic ties.
Earlier the prime minister gave awards to top-performing Chinese companies working especially in projects under CPEC in Pakistan. He said recently the two friendly countries had celebrated a decade of CPEC under Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI). He said China had so far invested a valuable $30 billion under CPEC which had really transformed the economic landscape in Pakistan.
“Now we are entering into the second phase of CPEC in which multiple new areas are being incorporated including the green corridor, Information Technology, and Special Economic Zones. He said the Pakistan government had launched a great initiative “Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC)”, which would consist of all main stakeholders including the federal government, all provincial governments, and institutions, particularly Pakistan Army led by General Syed Asim Munir.
He said the Army Chief had personally contributed to this programme in a way that it had no parallel in the past as he was totally dedicated to promoting the cause of Pakistan and the people who had education and talent but no jobs. “The programme SIFC will dovetail with the entire CPEC mechanism and will be a propeller in terms of Pakistan’s industrial agri progress,” he added.
Minister for Board of Investment (BoI) Chaudhry Salik Hussain said CPEC had ushered in a new era of progress and development in various areas including energy, infrastructure, industrial development, agriculture, and science and technology. He said the mega project would help Pakistan localize the products that were currently being imported to fulfill the country’s needs.
Charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan Pang Chunxue said since its launch in 2013, the CPEC being the pilot project of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) had made remarkable contributions to the socio-economic development of local people of the country. She said China would always stand firmly with Pakistan and work together to coordinate the country’s development and security areas.
PM awards Rs1m to SSC topper; directs govt to fund his education till masters degree: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a Rs 1 million reward for a student who topped the Secondary School Examination of Gujranwala Board, besides announcing a monthly stipend of Rs 30,000.
The prime minister made the announcement as Jamshed Ali, the SSC topper met the prime minister along with his mother, teacher Waheed Ashraf and Chairman of the Gujranwala Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Naveed Haider Sherazi. Minister for Federal Education and Training Rana Tanveer Hussain also attended the meeting.
The prime minister appreciated the student for his excellent performance and announced Rs 1 million reward for his encouragement. The prime minister instructed that the government should bear all of the educational expenditures of Jamshed Ali till his master’s degree. He sought a commitment from the student to keep up showing excellence in his educational career ahead.
“The bright students like you are the pride of the nation. The credit for your success goes to the hard work of your parents as well as teachers. You are also a role model for other students of the country,” the prime minister remarked.
PKLI University to serve as a hub of knowledge creation, innovation: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) University, which he broke ground for a day earlier, would serve as a hub of knowledge creation, research and innovation to aid the Institute.
“Yesterday was a day of immense satisfaction for me. Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center, which was conceived in 2015 to be John Hopkins of Pakistan, achieved a milestone. I laid the foundation-stone of PKLI University to serve as a hub of knowledge creation, research and innovation to aid PKLI,” the prime minister wrote on a social media platform. He said a comprehensive nationwide program for the elimination of Hepatitis C was also resumed on Sunday under which filter clinics would be established across the country, for which the federal government had allocated Rs. 35 billion.
Additionally, he said, an endowment fund of Rs. 15 billion has also been set up whose proceeds would be used for the provision of free treatment to the poor. He commended Dr Saeed Akhtar, Dr Faisal Dar and the team of doctors, professionals and staff at PKLI as well as the government functionaries for their great national service. “Together we will make PKLI pride of the nation,” the prime minister remarked.