Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed the firm resolve to transform the country’s economic landscape.
Chairing cabinet meeting today, the Prime Minister said he has shared broad parameters of a five-year plan with all the ministries, specifying their targets.
He emphasized that the ministries would have to devise strategies to achieve these targets. He said progress of the ministries on these targets will also be reviewed regularly.
Shehbaz Sharif said we have to cut our expenditures and take the country towards self-reliance.
Expressing the determination to uplift various sectors such as agriculture and Information Technology, the Prime Minister said we have to take the country on the growth trajectory and create employment opportunities.
He was confident that the ministry of commerce would take the requisite steps to double the country’s exports before five years period of current government.
The Prime Minister said strict action will be taken against illegal trade, power theft and other leakages.
He said a program has been chalked out for the complete digitalization of the FBR. For this purpose, consultants will be hired by next month.
Alluding to the Besham incident which claimed the lives of five Chinese engineers and one Pakistani, the Prime Minister said anti-Pakistan elements, which are against strong bonds between China-Pakistan relations, are behind this despicable attack.
He said the people of Pakistan are fully behind their Chinese friends at this hour of grief. He pointed that he visited the Chinese embassy after the incident and extended condolences. He said the condolence message was also sent to the Chinese leadership with the assurance that whosoever is behind the terrorist attack will be given exemplary punishment.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed the determination to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country.
Paying tributes to the sacrifices of the security personnel, the Prime Minister said the defence of Pakistan is impregnable. He said those rendering lives for the security of the homeland are our heroes. He assured that resources would be provided to fulfill the requirements of the security forces.
The Federal Cabinet also approved the name of former Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice retired Tassaduq Hussain Jillani as head of the inquiry commission to probe into the issues raised by six judges of Islamabad High Court in a letter.
The meeting discussed the letter written by judges of Islamabad High Court to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa. The proposal for constituting an inquiry commission had come up during meeting between Prime Minister and the Chief Justice on Thursday.
According to the TORs for inquiry as approved by the cabinet, the Commission will thoroughly look into the details of the allegations and issues taken up in the letter. On the basis of its investigation the Commission will suggest action against any officer, department or institution found involved in the matter.
The Commission will also have power to probe any other matter it deems necessary during the course of inquiry.
The cabinet denied the allegation of executive’s interference in judicial matters as leveled by the six honourable judges in the letter and termed it inappropriate.
The Cabinet members were of the unanimous opinion that the Constitution of Pakistan enunciates the principle of separation of powers among the state institutions.
On the occasion, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed his resolve for independence of judiciary and principle of constitutional separation of powers.
He took the cabinet members into confidence about his consultation and meeting with the Chief Justice of Pakistan after the letter.
The Cabinet fully endorsed and supported the Prime Minister’s decisions and actions taken so far in this regard.
