ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan is expected to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements worth US$2 billion with Saudi Arabia during the upcoming visit of the kingdom’s high-level delegation. Addressing the federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, PM Shehbaz said that the agreements are expected to be signed as a Saudi Arabia delegation will be visiting Pakistan in coming days.
He also thanked China, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for their support in obtaining the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme.
PM Shehbaz also mentioned last week’s visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim when the two sides agreed that Pakistan would export Halal meat and rice to Malaysia.
He said consequent to the ‘finest level’ of teamwork, the IMF program has been approved, and inflation was reduced from 32 to 6.9 percent. He added that exports, remittances, and IT exports are on the surge and the stock exchange is skyrocketing.
He said sabotaging all these efforts for the sake of their politics would be the biggest conspiracy to the country, he remarked.
The prime minister mentioned the doubled number of tax return filers, the broadening tax base and the digitisation of FBR.
He said oil prices have been reduced for the fifth time, and a Rs50 billion relief package was announced for the power consumers of the protected category, apart from the Punjab government’s Rs55 billion package on top of that.
Thanking the IMF chief for her support in approving the the loan programme for Pakistan, the prime minister said that she was also appreciative of the reforms introduced by the incumbent and the caretaker governments.
He mentioned the martyrdom of a lieutenant colonel and other security personnel and said the government knew where the terrorists were being funded from. –Agencies
