Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that the government was determined to extend utmost support to exporters and producers to facilitate them in serving the country with full capacity.

The Premier was addressing as chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of the Food and Agriculture Expo-2024 (FoodAg24) at the Expo Centre.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif along with others performed the digital inauguration of the event.

He said that the last years’ export of rice and other agricultural items was commendable and the ministers, administrative secretaries and all those who contributed in it deserve appreciation.

“But this is not enough, because Pakistan got huge potential and this is high time to serve together with our full capacity,” he added.

The prime minister called for the need to “add value addition to our produce and said for that we have to take appropriate steps like adaptation of latest technologies and more research and development”. He also called for the need of comprehensive planning and effective implementation of the policies to achieve targets. He said that ever since coming into power, the present government, has taken many steps for the growth of agriculture sector and referred the project to the project to solarise 28,000 tube-wells in Balochistan to provide farmers with cheap electricity.

Separately, emphasizing the transformation of friendly relations between China and Pakistan into enhanced investment, economic and trade ties, the PM said that the next phase of CPEC will mainly involve business-to-business arrangements, particularly in the industrial sector.

The PM said, “Pakistan and China are two iron brothers and now we have to convert these relations of brotherhood and friendship into enhanced investment, economic and trade relations particularly in the fields of agriculture, information technology, mines, minerals and infrastructure.”

“Being an agrarian economy with over 60 % rural population, Pakistans need to further strengthen and augment its agricultural produce,” he said and added that Pakistani agricultural exports had increased by $3 billion in the last financial year, while “we have fixed a target of additional $7bn for the current fiscal year”.

Terming it as a quantum leap that required vigorous efforts along with adoption of modern technology and techniques, PM Shehbaz said that “China could be our best partner in achieving this target”.

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah discussed the current political situation and administrative issues on Friday.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif during his day-long visit to Karachi.

They agreed to speed up the timely completion of the federal government-funded development projects in the province.

CM Murad told the PM that the provincial government with the assistance of donor agencies have started work on BRT Redline and Yellow Line projects.

“The work on the Red Line project was in full swing while work on the Yellow Line would be started shortly,” the CM said and added the solution of traffic issues in Karachi would be resolved when the Karachi Circular Railway project started.

The prime minister assured the chief minister that his government was working closely with Chinese authorities to get KCR in the CPEC-priority project. He added that the KCR was important and it would be initiated with Chinese assistance very soon.

They also discussed the issue of the growing cost of electricity which has created unrest among the people of the country, as per the communique.