Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif has said in order to live as an independent and sovereign nation we will not take any foreign aid in future and break the begging bowl to achieve self-reliance. The chief minister said that although refusal to foreign aid would not be easy initially but they had decided to break the begging bowl, as it was also the desire of every Pakistani from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Karachi, he added.
He was addressing a press conference after a meeting of provincial cabinet here on Monday. The Cabinet members were also present. He said that the Punjab Cabinet had decided that this matter should be sent to Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief Nawaz Sharif so that the party could give final approval to the decision after thorough reflection.
Shahbaz said he was confident that the decision taken by the biggest province of Pakistan would prove to be the starting point of a national movement for economic independence, national sovereignty and security of the country. "But, the decision to give up foreign aid does not mean that relations with other countries should be impaired but it was aimed at promotion of trade instead of aid and shun the habit of reliance on others so as to rectify the mistakes of the past," he added.
The chief minister said that it was a fact that only those nations had succeeded and prospered that had taken difficult decisions in the interest of their survival. Pakistan was also fighting for its existence, therefore the whole nation, especially elite, would have to make sacrifices. Problems and hardships in the wake of the historic decision to get rid of foreign aid would prove to be transitory. If the nation wanted to live with honour and dignity it would have to revise its priorities. Whether it was the issue of Raymond Davis, drone attacks or Abbotabad incident, the nation held the key to the solution to all such problems. Some foreign forces were never tired of declaring Pakistan as a strategic partner but the 'partnership' they had displayed on strategic issues was before the whole world.
He said the nation knows that in the current era of personal interests, group priorities and regional prejudices, Nawaz Sharif was the only leader who had the courage to stand high in the most difficult times for safeguarding national interests and honour. "Whether it was threats on the occasion of nuclear tests or the foreign assault in the wake of incidents like Abbotabad, Nawaz Sharif had always displayed courage and even his detractors acknowledged that fact," he added.
The chief minister said it was not possible to accept foreign aid and then refuse to obey their orders; it was due to the foreign aid that Pakistan was being subjected to drone attacks, which were resulting in the death of innocent citizens instead of terrorists and aggravating the problem of terrorism. He also said that he firmly believed that such incidents could not be stopped through protest resolutions, condemnatory statements or the rallies taken out on luxurious cars and sit-ins. "If the nation decided to depend on its own resources and worked with sincerity and commitment Pakistan could also achieve self-reliance like China, Japan or Germany," he added.
Responding to a question, he said the need for national solidarity was more than ever in the existing circumstances. He said Punjab was the only province that had taken practical measures at the highest level for the promotion of austerity and reduced non-productive expenditure by Rs 6 billion.
The chief minister said, "The members of the delegations accompanied me on foreign visits paid the expenditure from their own pocket. Just as the nation was ready to make any sacrifice on the issue of dignity and honour of the Holy Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), similarly it would stand as a rock for safeguarding its nuclear assets."
Shahbaz said that if any problem was faced due to stoppage of foreign aid every sacrifice would be made but the mission of public service and welfare would be continued. The centre and provinces were not apart and the decision of the Punjab cabinet was the voice of the whole nation. Foreign aid was the root cause of problems while trade would revive the country. The agreements signed with China and other countries were also based on trade and not aid. It was learnt that the Punjab cabinet gave approval to three amendment bills of the Board of Revenue with regard to devolution of powers in the wake of 18th amendment and the amendments in Provincial Assembly Punjab Privilege Act 1972.
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