Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the government was committed to directing the country towards economic change through structural reforms, institutional changes and a renewed approach to meritocracy, Associated Press of Pakistan (app) reported on Saturday.
Going to a group of Pakistani students enrolled in the main international universities under the Uraan Pakistan’s summer program of the Government, the prime minister said that the coalition government had assumed a position in 2023 at a time when the country was about to non -compliance.
“The majority believed that Pakistan would not be breach, while a small minority was hope that we could avoid it,” he said, remembering his meetings with the IMF managing director, where he assured Pakistan’s commitment to stabilize the economy and complete the program.
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The prime minister said that inflation had increased to 38 percent and that the policy rate was 22.5 percent at that time, while the commercial feeling had collapsed. “The load was immense, but we advanced with sincerity and unity. Today, the policy rate has been reduced to less than 11 %, and initiatives such as Uraan Pakistan have taken off.”
He described the way ahead as “challenging”, noting that successive governments had avoided undertaking structural reforms. “Now we must commit to these changes for a long time through sustained effort,” he emphasized.
براہِ راس da: وزیراعظم کی انٹرن شپ پروگرام اڑان پاکس iero -and
– Pakistan government (@Govtofpakistan) July 12, 2025
Highlighting the reforms within the Federal Income Board (FBR), he said that the Government had acted decisively to eliminate corrupt officials without yielding to the political pressure or culture of Sifarish.
“Previously, digitalization efforts were limited to paperwork, manipulated by created interests,” he said, added that his government had appointed competent people, including a new president of FBR and expert consultants. “Today, FBR operations are increasingly digital, with AI -based tools and faceless interaction become the standard.”
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As a result of the application efforts, he said, the collection of income in one sector had only increased from 12 billion to more than RS50bn in a year, revealing the scope of past tax evasion.
“We face a long and thorny trip, with mountain challenges,” said Prime Minister. “But we will not avoid our responsibilities. I believe in teamwork and responsibility: those who work are already recognized who are not shown the door.”
He said not to meet the economic objectives was not an option. “Delivery is the name of the game; performance is the name of the game.”
Emphasizing the importance of youth development, he said that investment in young people was an investment in the future of Pakistan. In response to the students’ questions, the prime minister recalled having launched scholarships based on Punjab merits for disadvantaged students during his mandate as the main minister.
In climate change, the prime minister said that Pakistan had suffered massive economic losses during the floods of 2022, estimated at $ 30 billion, despite contributing only an insignificant participation to global emissions.
Answering another question, Prime Minister Shehbaz approached recent tensions with India, stating that during May of this year, Pakistan responded to the “unfulfilled aggression” after Pahalgam’s incident.
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He said that Pakistan had proposed an international investigation into the matter, but India did not respond. “As a result of the Indian aggression, 55 Pakistani were martyred. We responded in self -defense by knocking out six Indian planes,” he said, adding that May 9 and 10, Pakistan had retaliated with all force.
He praised the Armed Forces for his professionalism and reiterated that Pakistan’s nuclear program was only for peaceful purposes and national defense.
The prime minister expressed confidence in the students selected under the Uraan Pakistan program and extended the best wishes for their academic and professional trips.
