——- Says process must be transparent, with legal hurdles addressed by hiring reputable lawyers
——- Highlights the efforts of govt for reducing expenditure
——- Adds govt spending to be lowered for economic growth
By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed officials to expedite the process of privatising govern-ment departments, ensuring its completion within the designated timeframe.
The directive was issued during a review meeting in Islamabad on Thursday, where the Task Manage-ment System for monitoring the privatisation process was discussed, Radio Pakistan reported.
The PM emphasised that the process must be carried out with full transparency and that any legal hurdles should be addressed by engaging reputable lawyers. “The services of reputable lawyers should be hired to remove legal obstacles in the privatisation process,” he said.
PM Shehbaz added that the privatisation initiative is part of the government’s “Uraan Pakistan” pro-gramme, underlining that the role of the government is to facilitate business and investment, rather than engaging directly in business operations.
“The government’s job is not to do business, but to take policy measures and facilitate business and investment,” he stated.
He further noted that the country is progressing rapidly towards economic improvement thanks to timely reforms and called for collective efforts to advance Pakistan’s development.
During the meeting, the PM was briefed on the Task Management System for privatisation and was informed about the timeline for the privatisation of various government departments.
The privatisation process has been divided into three phases: ten departments will be privatised in the first phase, thirteen in the second, and the remaining departments in the third phase.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid a visit to JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence in Islamabad on Thursday, in a gesture of goodwill to inquire about the latter’s health.
Beyond the health check, the meeting also provided an opportunity for both leaders to engage in dis-cussions regarding crucial national and political matters. The talks underscored the importance of dia-logue and collaboration to address pressing issues facing the country.
In a significant political development, the visit follows a recent invitation from PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) to JUI-F, calling for a joint movement against the current government.
PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub, Asad Qaiser, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja, and Akhunzada Hussain, met with Maulana Fazlur Rehman to extend the offer. The delegation urged the JUI-F to collaborate on efforts to challenge the government.
In response, Rehman assured the PTI representatives that his party would consult internally before deciding on the matter. This marks a potential shift in political alliances, with both parties discussing the possibility of working together in the future.
The PM was accompanied by federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal and Attaullah Tarar while the JUI-F leader appreciated the PM’s visit and thanked him for his concern.
