PM urges provinces to drop some projects amid economic strain

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday called for national unity, political stability and shared sacrifice, saying Pakistan is facing serious economic difficulties because of the prevailing war situation in the region.

Speaking at a high-level meeting in Islamabad, the prime minister said the country needed a collective response from all sections of society to deal with the crisis. He said Pakistan was continuing diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, the chief ministers of all four provinces, representatives from Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Shehbaz Sharif said Ishaq Dar had been in contact with the foreign ministers of several countries and had also made an important visit to China as part of Pakistan's diplomatic outreach. He added that the army chief was also playing an important role in these efforts and said he was hopeful of positive developments soon.

Referring to the economic impact, the prime minister said the government had already absorbed a burden of Rs129 billion, while higher petroleum prices had further increased difficulties for the public.

Austerity measures

The prime minister said the government had introduced austerity steps in response to the situation. These included cabinet members giving up two months' salaries, a 50% reduction in fuel consumption and a 60% cut in the use of official vehicles.

He also said Rs100 billion had been cut from the Public Sector Development Programme, with the savings being redirected to public relief measures.

Shehbaz Sharif urged the provincial governments to stop low-priority development schemes and become part of a countrywide austerity campaign.

He urged provincial governments to halt low-priority projects and join a nationwide austerity drive.

Focus on agriculture and transport

The prime minister said it was important to continue support for agriculture as well as public and goods transport so that wheat harvesting and other farming activities could proceed without disruption. He said this was also necessary to protect the public from inflationary pressure.

He praised the cooperation of the president, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the provincial leadership, saying the current atmosphere of national unity reflected Pakistan's capacity to face challenges together.

The prime minister expressed confidence that peace would return to the region soon and that Pakistan would succeed in its economic and diplomatic efforts.