President, PM discuss political, economic situation

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday and discussed the present political and economic situation in the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Planning and Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar and Senator Saleem Mandviwalla were also present.

The prime minister briefed the president on his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates and also shared the key features of the federal budget. Zardari emphasized that the federal budget should prioritise the welfare and uplift of the common man, particularly workers and low-income groups.

He underscored that the salaried class, pensioners, labourers and underprivileged segments of society are facing serious challenges, and effective measures must be taken to alleviate their burden.

The president highlighted the need for employment generation and social protection initiatives to support the poor and vulnerable sections of the society.

Meanwhile, chairing a meeting on Pakistan Railways upgradation, the prime minister directed the relevant authorities to link the Reko Diq project with the Pakistan Railways line network by 2028 to meet the requirements of future transportation and cargo services.

He directed to form an inter-ministerial committee to look after the financing matters for the up-gradation and development of Pakistan Railways. The committee will present recommendations with regard to financing required for development of Pakistan Railways and its extension to Reko Diq. During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on the up-gradation of ML-1 and ML-3 railway and the overall development of Pakistan Railways to meet the requirements of future transportation and cargo services.

Pakistan Railways is a cheap, fast and environment friendly source of transportation, he said, adding that the mines and mineral sector of Balochistan will develop and new employment opportunities for the people of the area will also be created after linking railways with Reko Diq.