- PM Shehbaz Sharif said the risk of Pakistan’s default has ended
- He said staff-level agreement with IMG will be signed soon
- He said the government is committed to holding elections
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed the risk of Pakistan’s default has “ended” following the “prudent policies of the government.
Speaking to a delegation of Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), the prime minister said that the government is making all-out efforts to bring the economy out of the prevailing “quagmire” and put the country on the path of development and prosperity.
The meeting held an in-depth discussion on the overall situation in the country in areas of politics, economy, foreign affairs and security.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said the country was passing through political and economic challenges, however, all political parties of the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) coalition contributed positively towards improving the situation.
During 11 months of the tenure, the prime minister said the government successfully overcame the shadows of default.
He regretted that the previous government stepped back from the agreement inked with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), resulting in a huge loss for the country.
He expressed confidence that the staff-level agreement with the IMF would be struck soon. He dismissed the impression that IMF talked about political instability in the country.
PM Shehbaz Sharif recalled that friendly countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and China extended support to Pakistan in trying times.
To control inflation, he said the government was committed to ensuring austerity and providing relief to the poor during Ramazan.
He said the federal government was committed to fulfilling its constitutional obligation of holding elections and would act as per the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
“No one should have a doubt on us regarding evading the elections. We will whole-heartedly participate in elections and will follow whatever is decided by ECP,” he said.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said it was up to the ECP to decide on the matter, however, as PML-N president, he has directed his party to finalize the names of ticketholders.
He said the government was cognizant of the fact that timely elections led to a stronger state and its progress. In the same context, he mentioned that the government had initiated work on census and the funds had been released despite financial constraints.
The prime minister termed CPNE an important link between the government and the masses. He apprised the news editors of the effective steps taken by the government in areas of economy.
[embedpost slug=”freedom-of-expression-is-distinction-of-civilized-nations-pm-shehbaz/”]
