ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Tuesday that China Pakistan Economic Corridor is a project which is not only good for Pakistan’s well-being, but for the whole region.
In an interview with The Guardian, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s close relationship with China. The prime minister said his government is making every effort to strengthen country’s economy which was ruined by the former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He said Imran Khan ran an anti-corruption manifesto of conducting the country’s affairs to suit his own personal agenda. Shehbaz Sharif said the leaked audios are an irrefutable endorsement that Imran Khan is the biggest liar who damaged country’s image for his personal interest. Shehbaz Sharif accused the former premier Imran Khan of being the “the biggest liar on the face of the earth” and injecting poison into society to “dangerously polarise the electorate” after he was toppled from power earlier this year.
Sharif, 70, spoke unsparingly of the “damage” that Khan, the former cricket superstar who ruled Pakistan from 2018, had done to the country in both domestic and foreign affairs.
Also, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday, while stressing upon the long-standing Pakistan-UK partnership, reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to further deepen cooperation across multiple sectors, including trade, investment, security, defence, culture and people-to-people linkages.
The prime minister expressed these views during a meeting with the Right Honourable (Rt Hon) Angela Reynar, Deputy Leader of the British Labour Party, who was accompanied by Lord Wajid Khan, Member of House of Lords, who called on him, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The prime minister highlighted that Pakistan, despite contributing less than one percent of the global carbon emissions, remained one of the countries most affected by the climate change. He also thanked the United Kingdom Government for its £ 16.5 million of humanitarian assistance, provided to Pakistan. The prime minister made special reference to the positive role played by the 1.6 million Pakistani diaspora in forging closer bonds between the peoples of both countries.
The Rt Hon Raynar expressed her sincere condolences on the loss of human lives due to the recent floods in Pakistan.
Lord Wajid informed the prime minister that British Pakistanis were greatly engaged in the relief and rehabilitation efforts for fellow Pakistanis, who had been adversely affected by the recent floods. The visiting delegation assured the prime minister of their continued cooperation to garner support for the flood affectees.
Pakistan highly values its ties with EU: PM
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that Pakistan greatly valued its relationships with the European Union that were based on shared values and common objectives of peace, prosperity and development. The prime minister appreciated the EU’s assistance in the wake of climate-induced massive floods in Pakistan.
The prime minister was talking to European Commissioner for the Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic who called on him, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
Expressing satisfaction at the high-level engagement between the two sides, the prime minister expressed hope that both sides would continue to work together to further enhance their bilateral trade and investment ties, so as to benefit from the GSP Plus Scheme, post 2023.
He also shared the details of the devastation caused by the floods to crops, housing, livestock and critical infrastructure, as well as death of more than sixteen hundred people.
The prime minister underlined that Pakistan while being a most negligible contributor to global carbon emissions, was amongst the most vulnerable countries to the impact of climate change.
He expressed the hope that the international community would step up its efforts to mitigate the negative consequences of the floods, through active participation in rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.
Prime minister Sharif also highlighted the efforts undertaken by the government which included humanitarian response for the people in the affected areas and establishing of Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund-2022, for providing relief and rehabilitation to the affectees of torrential rains.
The fund accepted donations/contributions both from domestic and international sources.
PM thanks Turkish leadership, people for relief support to flood-hit people
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the people for sending trains loaded with supplies to the flood-stricken people of Pakistan.
The prime minister, in a meeting with a Turkish delegation here, said the people of Pakistan greatly appreciated Turkiye’s solidarity with Pakistan during the challenging times.
The delegation comprised Turkish Red Crescent Goodwill Ambassador Ismail Hakki Turunc and Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Mehmet Pacaci.
The prime minister said be it the earthquake of 2005, super floods of 2010 and recent floods, Turkiye had always come forward to help the people of Pakistan. He said 50 boats sent by Turkiye for rescue and relief operations had helped relocate hundreds of people stranded in inundated areas of Sindh and Balochistan.