Last 16 months was a time of immense challenges, unforeseen in our history: PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD, August 09 (SABAH): Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said that in the special cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, he thanked his cabinet colleagues for their cooperation and support. “I was deeply humbled by their kind words for my person” PM Shehbaz Sharif said.

In a statement issued on twitter on Wednesday, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the last 16 months was a time of immense challenges, unforeseen in our history. He said that the coming together of Pakistan’s political forces for a national agenda represents evolution of our democratic system.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said that given the seriousness of plethora of the crises from the unprecedented floods to saving the country from default to rebuilding Pakistan’s diplomatic relations to fixing governance challenges, we used collective wisdom to navigate the treacherous landscape.

“Alhamdolillah, Pakistan in August 2023 is better off than it was in April 2022. Our long-term challenges still remain but the way forward has clearly been identified and actions initiated in that direction” PM Shehbaz Sharif said. 

“I am thankful to every cabinet colleague for their advice, and input, which helped me personally to serve the country in the best possible way. I wish them well” PM Shehbaz Sharif said.

Meanwhile in a separate statement issued on twitter PM Shehbaz Sharif said that as part of the government’s revolutionary solarisation project of generating 10,000 MW to replace the costly thermal power, he launched a program for solarisation of 100,000 tube wells on Tuesday. The solarisation of tube wells will provide cheap electricity to the farmers and boost our domestic agricultural yield, leading to self-sufficiency in food production, PM Shehbaz Sharif said.

“Our economy can’t grow with high power tariff. We have to replace the power plants operating on costlier fuel that burdens our people and results in circular debt. The long-term solution lies in tapping our abundant solar & hydel energy resources. Hence, the prioritization of solarisation project. A total of Rs. 377 billion will be spent on solarisation of tube wells” PM Shehbaz Sharif said.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said that other than solar, nuclear and coal power projects, the coalition government has focused its attention on development of hydropower projects. We have offered our brotherly country, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to invest in multipurpose Diamir Basha dam, PM Shehbaz Sharif said.