F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the authorities concerned to take all possible measures to protect the lives and properties of the citizens amidst heavy rains in different parts of the country.
The prime minister directed the National Disaster Management Authority to take immediate steps to cope with the emergency and extend support to the provincial governments as well as those of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. He instructed the Islamabad city administration to facilitate the residents and ensure proper drainage of rainwater.
Prime Minister Shehbaz directed the relevant departments to carry out constant monitoring, take coordinated measures and ensure evacuation of people from low-lying areas and drainage of water. Besides, he said the relevant authorities should ensure the provision of water pumps and other machinery, besides the deployment of medical staff, supply of medicines and vaccines, and timely treatment.
Moreover, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the death of Prince Abdullah bin Khalid bin Turki bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia.
The prime minister, in a social media post on X, conveyed his condolences to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “My heart goes out to the royal family and the people of Saudi Arabia in this moment of grief. May the departed soul rest in eternal peace,” he prayed.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif hailed the upgrading of Pakistan’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating (IDR) from CCC to CCC+ by the Credit Rating Agency Fitch.
Appreciating the efforts of Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and his team, the prime minister said the country and the nation had started receiving the fruits of the government’s policy of sacrificing politics for the sake of the state in the shape of improvement in the country’s economy.
In a statement, he said upgrading Pakistan’s global rating to CCC+ was the international recognition of the government’s right economic policies. The prime minister emphasized that the government was working hard on the economic reforms agenda, the fruits of which would surely reach the people soon. The reports of Fitch and other international financial institutions are important for the economic improvement of Pakistan, PM Shehbaz said adding, “we will move forward with more effort and passion on the path of economic improvement of the country”.
He hoped that the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme would further improve the economic activities in the country. The announcement of another one percent reduction in interest rate by the State Bank of Pakistan was another sign of economic improvement, he added. He said that the recent cut in the interest rate would further reduce inflation and increase business activities.
