PM Shehbaz urges nation to unite to overcome challenges

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday stressed on forging solidarity, unity and harmony to meet the challenges facing the country.Addressing the Ulema and Mashaikh Conference here, he pointed out there is an unprecedented cooperation between the political government and the constitutional institutions, emphasizing that this collaboration is in national interest and a role model for the future.He urged the religious scholars belonging to different schools of thought to preach the message of peace and brotherhood and raise voice against divisiveness.Referring to the sacrifices rendered by the people under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for the creation of Pakistan, he stressed the need for working tirelessly to transform the country into the one envisioned by our forefathers.He regretted the propaganda campaign against the country’s security forces on the social media. The security personnel have rendered immense sacrifices for the security and defense of the country, he addded.He said May 9 incident was the most despicable one in the country’s history.Premier Shehbaz said the government is working tirelessly to address the economic challenges.Admitting the difficulties faced by the masses due to the inflation, he said Rs50 billion have been diverted from the development fund to the provision of subsidy for three months to the electricity consumers who use up to 200 units. He however, agreed that this is not sufficient as there is also burden on the consumers using up to 500 units.He said consultations are taking place to provide relief and reduce burden on the poor people. A comprehensive plan is being worked out in this regard, he added.Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, who was the guest of honour, also addressed the conference.Minister for Religious Affairs Salik Hussain urged the religious scholars to play their role to counter extremist elements. He said these elements distort the teachings of our great religion Islam to stoke instability and chaos, emphasizing the need for collective efforts to ensure peace in the country.The minister also called upon the religious scholars to spearhead an awareness campaign for the protection of rights of minorities.He that Pakistan has been facing threat to national security and stressed on joint efforts to eradicate terrorism.He said the country has been facing the scourge of terrorism for decades. “Let’s work together to build a prosperous Pakistan,” he added.The conference was attended by ministers and religious scholars from various schools of thought.