ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif cautioned against any complacency in carrying out the government’s downsizing plan, urging the ministries to work hard to make a difference and satisfy the aspirations of the country.
“I promise not to let my time go to waste, and I have no doubt you won’t either. Action and implementation are the only things that will change. “This is a matter of nation, its resources, and resolution of its issues; roll up your sleeves,” the prime minister remarked as he presided over the federal cabinet meeting.
Recalling his contacts with foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, he thanked the attendees of his trips to Tajikistan and Kazakhstan and announced the formation of a follow-up committee headed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.
In a similar vein, he announced that he will convene again on July 20 to assess the outcome of the “extremely fruitful” talks he had a few days prior with Premier Li Qiang and Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China.
The prime minister announced that in an effort to stop the yearly hemorrhage of Rs. 80 billion, the government had started solarizing 28,000 tube wells in Balochistan. He also expressed gratitude to the chief minister of Balochistan and other pertinent agencies and ministries for moving the project forward to the implementation phase.
He informed the gathering that the finance ministry was assigned the duty of developing a business strategy for the nation’s one million tube wells, which were now dependent on imported gasoline and would require $3.5 billion in foreign cash.
The prime minister emphasized that Pakistan has enormous solar energy potential, which needs to be taken advantage of in order to reduce energy expenses and give farmers access to inexpensive electricity.
