ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that it is not possible for the people to make sacrifices and the elite to continue to enjoy privileges.
Women members of parliament from the Muslim League (N) met the Prime Minister, in which Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the women members and thanked them for their full participation in the ongoing budget session. During the meeting, various issues related to the budget, the country’s economy, the regional situation and public welfare were discussed.
The Prime Minister said that the government has tried to provide relief to the people in the budget as much as possible. The budget has included several measures to make women independent and increase their inclusion in the national mainstream. He said that empowering Pakistani women to play a full role in the country’s development is one of the top priorities of the government.
Shehbaz Sharif said that by the grace of Allah, the clouds of tension in the region have been lifted and efforts to establish peace have been successful. He thanked the friendly countries for their full support in the efforts to establish peace.
The Prime Minister said that since the beginning of the tension, the Government of Pakistan, especially Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi and the entire government team have been working sincerely to establish peace.
The Prime Minister said that only with the establishment of lasting peace in the region and the world can the dream of economic development of other countries including Pakistan be fulfilled. The government has taken vigorous steps to protect the people from the effects of the global wave of inflation during the past months, as a result of which there was no crisis in the country nor were long queues for fuel seen.
He said that thanks to the good planning of the government team and the cooperation of the federal and provincial governments, not only the people were saved from difficulties but also a historic relief package was given to the middle and low-income classes.
The Prime Minister said that during the recent crisis, sacrifice began with the cabinet and government institutions because it is not possible for the people to make sacrifices and the elite to continue to benefit from privileges.
Shehbaz Sharif said that the government has tried to reduce public hardships through a subsidy of Rs 128 billion and a large-scale austerity campaign. He said that the federation and the provinces have fully cooperated to keep the country’s economy stable, for which he is grateful to the provincial governments. Public cooperation also played a key role in this entire process, for which the people of Pakistan deserve tribute.
The Prime Minister said that despite the difficult economic conditions, a people-friendly budget has been presented, which will further accelerate the wheel of industry and promote an export-oriented economy. He said that in the coming fiscal year, the government’s focus will remain on the water resources, IT, agriculture and mineral sectors so that a strong foundation can be provided to the economy. After peace and normalcy in the region, its positive economic effects will also be transferred to the people.
The Prime Minister said that all these efforts are the result of the joint struggle of “Team Pakistan” and this team is working to place Pakistan in the ranks of developed countries. He said that the government will continue its efforts to achieve public relief, economic stability and development goals.
During the meeting, the women parliamentarians paid tribute to the Prime Minister for his efforts to establish peace at the global and regional levels. They also appreciated the steps taken by the Prime Minister and the government’s economic team to empower women in the budget and provide them equal opportunities for education and development.
The parliamentarians presented suggestions related to ongoing public welfare projects and budgets in their respective constituencies. The participants also presented various recommendations for improvement in education, health, employment opportunities for youth, industry and production, communications, food security and other sectors.
The meeting was attended by Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, Begum Tehmina Daultana, Shaista Khan, Tahira Aurangzeb, Shaista Pervez, Muniba Iqbal, Nuzhat Sadiq, Musarrat Asif Khawaja, Romina Khurshid Alam, Zeeb Jaffer, Kiran Imran Dar, Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Asia Naz Tanoli, Saba Sadiq, Farah Naz Akbar, Shahnaz Saleem Malik, Zainab Mahmood Baloch, Kiran Haider, Akhtar Bibi, Ghazala Anjum, Miss Shaheen, Samar Haroon Bilour, Saeeda Jamshed, Tamkeen Akhtar Niazi, Saira Tarar, Huma Akhtar Chughtai, Mah Jabeen Khan Abbasi, Gulnaz Shahzadi, Shumaila Rana, Shazia Farid, Syeda Amna Batool, Rabia Naseem Farooqi, Irum Hamid Hameed and Miss Neelam.
The meeting was also attended by Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Public Affairs Unit Minister Rana Mubashir Iqbal, Ministers of State Shaza Mansab Ali Khan Kharal, Wajiha Qamar and Special Assistant Talha Burki.