Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the government has made every possible effort to provide relief to the public in the budget.
Talking to women parliamentarians of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in Islamabad today, he said the budget includes measures to make women self-reliant and enhance their inclusion in the national mainstream.
Shehbaz Sharif said empowering Pakistani women to play an active role in national development remains one of the government’s top priorities.
Turning to the regional situation, the Prime Minister noted with gratitude that, by the grace of Almighty Allah, the clouds of tension in the region have cleared and efforts to establish peace have yielded positive results. He thanked friendly countries that fully supported these peace efforts.
Shehbaz Sharif said that, from the very beginning of the tensions, the Government of Pakistan, particularly Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi, and the entire government team, remained sincerely and actively engaged in peace efforts.
He said the dream of economic development for Pakistan and other countries could only be realized through lasting regional and global peace.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the government made every effort in recent months to protect citizens from the impact of global inflation.
He said that, by the grace of Allah, unlike some other countries in the region, Pakistan faced neither an economic crisis nor long queues for fuel.
Shehbaz Sharif said the government’s effective planning successfully protected the public from undue hardship.
He said a historic relief package was delivered to the middle class and economically weaker segments of society with the cooperation of the federal and provincial governments.
He emphasized that the spirit of sacrifice during the recent crisis began with the cabinet and government institutions.
He said it is not possible for the people of this country to make sacrifices while the elite continue to enjoy privileges.
The Prime Minister said the government made every effort to ease public difficulties through a 128-billion-rupee subsidy and a large-scale austerity campaign.
He expressed heartfelt gratitude to the provincial governments for their full cooperation in keeping the national economy stable during recent challenging times.
He also paid rich tribute to the people of Pakistan, noting that public cooperation played a vital role in stabilizing the economy.
Shehbaz Sharif said the government presented a people-friendly budget despite a difficult economic situation, which will accelerate industrial growth and promote an export-oriented economy.
He said the focus of next year’s budget is on national priorities, particularly increasing water storage capacity and promoting the IT, agriculture, and minerals sectors to provide a strong foundation for the country’s economy.
He assured that the benefits of positive economic developments would be transferred directly to the people once regional peace and normalcy are fully restored.
On the occasion, the women parliamentarians paid rich tribute to the Prime Minister for his efforts to promote regional and global peace.
They also highly appreciated the Prime Minister and the government’s economic team for including measures in the budget aimed at empowering women and providing them with equal opportunities for education and development.
The parliamentarians also presented proposals regarding the budget and ongoing public welfare projects in their respective constituencies.
