ISLAMABAD / D.I. KHAN: Guar­an­teeing that the caretaker set-up, as well as the next government, will adhere to the country’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday assured international donors that funds given for flood victims will be spent judiciously.

Addressing the 3rd meeting of the International Partners Support Group (IPSG), formed in the wake of the Resilient Pakistan Conference held in Geneva, earlier this year, PM Shehbaz said that Pakistan would fully follow the IMF agreement and not only the caretaker set-up but even the next government would implement the recent agreement made with the lender.

Weeks before the term of the current assemblies is set to end, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif seems to be in full campaign mode.

Earlier in the day, he inaugurated eight different mega projects, including gas, electricity and infrastructure schemes, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Inaugurates eight uplift projects in D.I. Khan, promises donors funds for flood relief will be used judiciously

In his remarks, PM Shehbaz said that the coalition government had steered the country out of what was perhaps the most difficult period in its history.

During the last 16 months, the government faced massive challenges, such as the devastating flood that hit the country soon after he took office, inflation, pressure from the IMF and a political crisis, he said.

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However, the coalition parties had unanimously decided to ensure economic stability at any price, including at the cost of their own political capital, which helped them bring the country out of crisis.

PM Shehbaz also continued to attack his predecessor, PTI chief Imran Khan, saying that the latter had only misled and provoked the youth.

“Let them know how many laptops and scholarships they gave to children and what he did to empower them,” he asked, rhetorically.

Blaming the PTI regime for all ills — from a surge in circular debt and loadshedding to back-breaking inflation and spoiling the IMF programme — he said his government has done well to rescue the weak economy it had inherited.

Speaking at the event, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl ur Rehman said that the PTI government had froze all development projects like CPEC and countries like Saudi Arabia, Dubai and China started losing trust in Pakistan, hampering further investment in development projects across the country.

The Maulana also touted the ind­ustrial estates being established in Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan, saying they would change the fate of the people of the area.

Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir said that development projects, which had remained suspended between 2018 and 2022, were being completed on priority, adding that the current government added 5,000MW of electricity to the national grid in just 16 months.

Minister for Communications Asad Mehmood said the coalition government was committed to create a road link between the Gwadar Port and the Central Asian countries under CPEC.

Later in the day, while addressing the launch of PM’s Freelancer and Venture Capital Initiative and the National Innovation Award Investor Connect, PM Shehbaz said that providing maximum financial and professional support to the youth was essential to tap their potential in the field of information technology.

Considering the talent and importance of the IT, he said the Rs 2 billion allocated for venture capital was just “peanuts”.

The prime minister said he was “taken aback” as he visited stalls and was briefed about the innovative projects prepared by the youngsters, including drones for agricultural purposes, IT-led medical systems and the use of banana peels for different products.

“I really salute all of you,” the prime minister remarked and particularly lauded Sahar Munir, a girl from Naushki for her vision and ideas to promote the IT sector.

He said the network of incubation centres should have been spread countrywide some 10 years ago and reca­lled the establishment of such a center at Arfa Karim Tower in 2009 while being the Punjab chief minister.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2023