A positive outcome

Quite expectedly and hopefully, Saudi Arabia has once again come out with firm and categorical assurance to help Pakistan in all possible manners to overcome its prevailing financial crisis. The assurance given at the highest level is yet another demonstration of fraternal brotherly ties that exist between the two main members of the Islamic bloc, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
This assurance to help brotherly country in its difficult financial times has been given by Khadmeen-e-Haramain Sharif, King of Saudi Arabia Shah Abdullah to the visiting President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari during the high profile deliberations held the other day in Riyadh between the heads of the two countries.
Though Asif Ali Zardari had also visited Saudi Arabia in June this year as PPP Co-Chairman when Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had gone there, but now he had gone there as the President of Pakistan and was given due warm reception and accorded the protocol which reflected the strong ties between the two countries.
Saudi Arabia has agreed not only to further expand and strengthen existing ties with Pakistan in all sectors but also assured to help in cash and kind, thus enabling Islamabad meet its hard pressed financial requirements.
Saudi Arabia had earlier extended Special Oil Facility to Pakistan after Islamic bloc's first atomic power was penalised with economic sanctions after its leadership had decided to give a positive response to India's nuclear tests in 1998. But then the provision of substantial amount for import of oil was in the form of grant and now Pakistan will be required to make the payment for oil after one year.
Since Pakistan will be getting oil facility on deferred payment, with the involvement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rather in a very unusual manner, it should be ensured that oil consumption is regulated properly and reduced substantially not only in the public sector but also in the private sector. Needless to mention here that excessive and wasteful consumption of oil would only be multiplying financial burden on the national exchequer.
It would be quite appreciable that President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Federal Ministers, Parliamentarians set the example by using reduced number of vehicles and thus resultantly saving some quantity of oil on daily basis.
If such an example is established at the higher level, then it would not be too much to expect from others including the government functionaries to effect economy in the oil consumption as much as possible. Besides reduced oil consumption, some other measures are also needed to be enforced, again in both public and private sectors to minimise the expenditures to the level of essentially required commitments only.
No doubt brotherly country of Saudi Arabia has agreed for timely help, yet we should go out for self-reliance in all spheres of national economy. It is never late to opt for such positive measures which would have lasting and positive impact on hard pressed financial resources. It is certainly good to learn living within own resources.