MUZAFFARABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said Pakistan’s youth were the country’s greatest strength and investment in their education and skills was an investment in the future.
Addressing the ceremony when he formally launched the distribution of laptops under the Prime Minister’s Youth Laptop Program in Azad Jammu and Kashmir at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK), the Prime Minister said laptops were not just machines but a medium to connect the youth with the world, knowledge and opportunities.
He cited success stories from students who he said had previously used laptops to develop careers and overcome social and economic barriers.
“Our young people, especially generation Z, are more aware, more capable and better equipped to use technology than previous generations,” the prime minister said.
He urged students to play a positive role in the digital and social media space, warning against the spread of misinformation and fake news. “Today, truth and falsehood are often determined by narratives. Our educated youth must stand up for facts and accountability,” he said.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to merit, the prime minister said laptops had also been distributed strictly on merit during previous programs, rejecting criticism that such initiatives were political handouts.
He said the continuation of education during the Covid-19 pandemic through laptops was proof of their value.
The Prime Minister also announced major educational initiatives for Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including the approval of four Danish schools, a planned technology-focused Danish university and the revival of the Prime Minister’s Education Endowment Fund to provide scholarships to talented but underprivileged students from AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and other parts of the country, including for overseas studies.
Referring to Kashmir, he said the people of Kashmir had made immense sacrifices and their emotional bond with Pakistan was unbreakable.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir and called for unity, hard work and faith to achieve national goals.
Concluding, the Prime Minister said that disciplined effort, unity and faith were essential to make Pakistan strong and prosperous. “Our youth are our future,” he said, expressing confidence that with opportunities and merits, they would advance Pakistan and Kashmir on the world map.
Ports
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs a meeting on the task force constituted for reforms in Pakistani ports.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday emphasized the importance of ports which played an extremely important role in boosting business activity and economic growth and directed various measures to accelerate trade, connectivity and economic activity.
Chairing a meeting on the task force constituted for reforms in the country’s ports, he directed that various departments linked with the ports should further enhance mutual coordination to facilitate the business community so that the dwell time of cargo can be reduced to a minimum.
He also ordered that the different types of port taxes be further reduced.
The Prime Minister received recommendations on port facilities and reforms for the business community, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The meeting was attended by Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Musadik Malik, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kiyani, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar and relevant senior government officials.
The Prime Minister stressed that a transparent system should be introduced for the auction of cargoes abandoned at ports. There is a need to establish separate warehouses at various ports in the country for abandoned cargo and engage the services of internationally renowned companies for this purpose, he added.
He further called for initial testing laboratories to be established at ports for cargo inspection, adding that unnecessary laboratory testing of cargo should be abolished.
The prime minister ordered that dredging and expansion work be accelerated in all ports to allow large ships to dock.
He also emphasized improving rail connectivity from ports for land cargo transportation.
During the meeting, the prime minister appreciated the efforts of the task force headed by Ziad Bashir to present concrete proposals.
Ziad Bashir opined that the transparent privatization of PIA had significantly improved the confidence of Pakistan’s business community.
During the information session, it was reported that the work on the National Ports Master Plan is advancing rapidly. The port community system has recently been put into operation.
While several rates were being reduced at the country’s ports, a reduction of more than 50 percent in bulk cargo rates had recently been made at Port Qasim.
It was further added that new investments in various ports of Pakistan were improving their performance.
The Prime Minister was informed that an electronic bidding system for the abandoned cargo auction would soon be introduced, allowing anyone across the country to participate in it remotely.
Considering that the tenders for expansion and dredging of Karachi ports have already been awarded and the work will begin soon, it was added.
Privatization of the PIA
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday thanked the government team involved in the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and said that the successful completion of the process marked an important milestone achieved in the national interest.
It ordered that all loss-making State Owned Entities (SOEs) must be immediately released in a transparent manner to avoid annual losses, and that the funds must be spent on the development and prosperity of the country.
Addressing members of the government team related to the privatization process, the Prime Minister said that the privatization of PIA was concluded the previous day with complete transparency, professionalism and teamwork. He recalled that several attempts had been made in the past to privatize airlines, but those efforts were not successful for some reasons. A similar attempt last year also failed, he added.
The prime minister said the government was not discouraged and decided to move forward again on the fast track, despite the complexity and difficulty of the task. He said the process was completed through close coordination, consultation and teamwork involving legal, financial and technical experts as well as relevant ministries.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that earlier this month he personally met potential bidders, discussed their concerns in detail and addressed their reservations. With their consent, December 23 was set as the date for disinvestment, he added.
He said the bidding mechanism was finalized through mutual consultations to ensure complete transparency. The cabinet committee approved a reference price of Rs 100 billion recommended by the Privatization Commission.
The prime minister said the bidding process was live-streamed and the final bid was set at Rs 135 billion. Including the remaining 25 per cent government stake, he said the total valuation reached Rs 180 billion.
He said the government learned from past failures and ensured that mistakes were not repeated, adding that the entire process was carried out in a transparent and professional manner.
Congratulating the nation, the prime minister said the successful conclusion of the process was made possible by the prayers and support of the people.
He expressed hope that the new management will bring new investments, modern equipment and new aircraft, allowing PIA to continue developing in the coming days. He also congratulated the investors who acquired the airline.
The prime minister praised the efforts of the government team including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Privatization Commission Chairman Muhammad Ali, Usman Akhtar Bajwa, Asad Hussain and Zeeshan Hussain.
He described Privatization Commission Chairman Muhammad Ali as the team’s “star performer” and announced that he would be honored on March 23 in recognition of his services.
The prime minister noted that PIA had incurred annual losses of around Rs 35 billion due to malpractices, inefficiency and lack of commitment. He said the real heroes were the officers who worked day and night for national development, poverty reduction and economic stability.
At the ceremony, the Prime Minister also presented awards to members of the government team who played a key role in the successful completion of the PIA privatization process.
