PM for collective efforts to take economic journey forward

KARACHI: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar called for collective efforts to transform the 250 million nation of Pakistan through collective efforts and take forward the economic journey.

The prime minister, addressing the members of the business community on Tuesday night, assured them that the government would do the maximum possible for the uplift of the business community as they were the engine of economic growth, the official news agency reported.

He said the $6 trillion natural deposits in Balochistan did not reflect in the condition of the people living there. The nation living on the Indus basin facing food insecurity manifested the collective incompetence.

The prime minister said the caretaker government would resolve all of the issues confronting the business community within its capacity.

He said the caretaker government had a very limited mandate to assist in elections, run day-to-day governance issues, and follow the international commitment till the new parliament.

He said the caretaker setup was becoming a source of peaceful transition.

Calling Karachi, Karachiites and the business community a “grace of the nation”, the prime minister said Pakistan could not survive sans their contribution.

Prime Minister Kakar said the provision of low-cost electricity was inevitable for industrialisation as the existing reserves of natural gas were insufficient to support the industry’s needs.

Emphasising the need for skilled human resources, the prime minister also mentioned the issues of structural challenges and business attitudes facing the goods and services sector.

He said it would take some time to transform old business practices into corporate culture.

“I want to reassure you that we will transform. We will bring optimism. We will do it collectively. Let’s start listening to each other. We will listen to you and you should listen to the state,” he asked the business community.

Rubbishing the notions of brain drain, the prime minister said in the past, India also faced the same issue but the same people returned to their homeland as an asset.

Exemplifying the remarkable distinction achieved by the doctors of Pakistani origin in the United States, he said the overseas Pakistanis always rescued the country whenever it faced the crisis of foreign exchange.

He advised businessmen to adopt the best business practices without giving up the larger good for petty interests.

“Let us discover the Pakistani dream. Let us discover the Pakistani branding,” he remarked.

He called for devising a mechanism for tax reforms, low-cost power, foreign exchange issues, and international agreements and assured the government would make all-out efforts to do the doable.

The prime minister lauded the services of Saylani Foundation for carrying out the responsibilities of food and human resources which otherwise was the responsibility of the state.

“If Saylani can do it, why can’t the state of Pakistan do it with huge machinery?” he questioned.