Economy showing positive signs, claims govt

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday that the government is determined to resolve the problems faced by the country and concrete measures are being taken to improve the national economy.

Both the economy and the industry were showing positive signs and international magazines are presenting positive analyses about the performance of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, he said, adding: “The reputed global financial journal Bloomberg has made a prediction regarding the reduction of inflation in Pakistan.”

Talking to media, Tarar said according to the Gallup survey, the investors’ confidence has increased, which has led to positive progress in local investment.

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He said the enemies of Pakistan are conspiring against the CPEC, because they cannot see progress and development of our country. He added the matter of Chinese nationals’ security has been taken more seriously and no lapse will be tolerated in this regard.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had a good experience of talking to financial institutions and bringing economic reforms,” he said, adding: “The previous 16-month government saved the country from default and helped stabilise the Pakistani rupee and even during the tenure of the interim government the rupee remained stable.

The stability of the rupee helped stabilize the country’s economy and positive news was coming with regard to the stock exchange as well.“ he maintained.

He said all these positive indicators were showing that business confidence had increased in the country. “It was very unfortunate that anti-state elements which could not digest the country’s progress were stuck to their negative agenda,” Tarar said, adding: “Chinese engineers were attacked in Dasu and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Dasu and met Chinese engineers and expressed grief over the incident besides offering condolences.”

He said that Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain went to Wuhan, China, on a special flight that carried mortal remains of five Chinese personnel, who had died in the terror attack and expressed condolences with the Chinese government and officials.

The minister said that the PML-N government had always given importance to Pak-China friendship. He said, “After the incident, the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Chinese Embassy and met the Chinese Ambassador. The premier also visited Dasu to boost the morale of the Chinese engineers and give a message that Pakistan gives high importance to its friendship with China.”

The minister said that the quick action was a proof that no compromise would be tolerated on the security of the Chinese in future. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was personally supervising security matters pertaining to Chinese projects and the Chinese and an effective system was being evolved in this regard, he added.

“We pay homage to all those who sacrificed their lives in war against terrorism,” he said, adding: “Our armed forces and law enforcement agencies of the country were determined to root out terrorism and would not allow anybody to harm the country’s peace. “Pakistan is fully alert and capable of defending itself but we want peace in the region,” he said.

Regarding his meeting with the representatives of PBA, APNS, CPNE, he said problems facing the media industry were discussed and pending dues of media workers and reporters would be paid prior to Eid-ul-Fitr, he added.

He said efforts would be made to ensure payment of pending dues in the next two days as per the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, adding that all approvals in this regard had been completed.

About visit to Saudi Arabia, he said the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his entourage including the family members and members of the cabinet leaving for Saudi Arabia on a commercial flight and all members of the delegation would bear their expenses and no burden would be put on the government kitty.

He said that the delegation besides him included Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Minister for Economics Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema. He hoped that positive news related to this visit would come during which besides performing Umrah, special meetings are also expected.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024