Saudi team’s visit significant headway in bilateral ties: PM

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the visit of Saudi investment delegation to Islamabad was a significant headway in the relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

The prime minister, chairing a meeting of the Federal Cabinet, appreciated the federal ministers, government officers and staffers for their efforts to ensure the success of the Saudi delegation’s visit, a PM Office press release said.

The cabinet, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Aviation, accorded approval to Air Sial to launch its flight operations for China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkiye, the United Kingdom and Kuwait. The approval was granted under the National Aviation Policy 2023 and Air Services Agreement. It also gave a nod to the signing of Memorandum of Understanding for formation of the Joint Trade Committee between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Columbia.

The cabinet approved to transfer the control of Directorate General of Special Education from the Human Rights Ministry to the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training. The body also endorsed the decisions of Cabinet Committee on Chinese investment projects taken in its meeting held on April 30.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said that the Saudi business delegation highly commended the preparedness and confidence of the federal ministers and other government team members, displayed during their visit, which augured well for the country’s future.

The prime minister, informed the cabinet members that during the interaction with him at the dinner reception he had hosted for them on Monday, the appreciation by the head of Saudi delegation, bought him immense pleasure for it being unprecedented.

He said he would hold a separate meeting with the cabinet members and the government officials who had put in their utmost efforts to ensure the success of Saudi delegation’s visit. Prime Minister Shehbaz told the meeting that the head of Saudi delegation, who was an intelligent and highly educated, acknowledge during meeting with him in the the presence of the ministers, that guidance, presentations and follow-ups by Pakistan side, were a pleasant surprise and very encouraging.

The members of Saudi delegation also acknowledged that they were returning with satisfaction and pleasure and would report to the Saudi leadership that they had witnessed a new era in Pakistan. The prime minister congratulated the cabinet members and federal secretaries for their hard work, adding that the appreciative words by the Saudi delegation, made his evening as well as that of the whole of Pakistan.

Shehbaz for strict departmental proceedings against negligent officials over T&T system: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed for initiation of strict departmental proceedings against the officials held responsible in an inquiry report for showing negligence in the enforcement of Track and Trace System (T&T) with flawed planning and inflicting losses to the national economy.

The prime minister chaired a high level meeting over Track and Trace System of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. The system was introduced to monitor production at cigarette manufacturing, fertilizer, sugar and cement industries, identification of counterfeit products and ending of smuggling.

The prime minister observed that due to faulty planning in the system and negligence in its enforcement of the system caused the national economy to suffer. A report of the inquiry committee formed to probe the issue was presented before the prime minister.