Daily Times

Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsugu Asakawa, accompanied by his delegation, met with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and commended his government for its comprehensive reforms and reaffirmed ADB’s continued support for Pakistan.

During the discussions, Asakawa praised Pakistan’s long-standing relationship with ADB as one of its founding members. He also reaffirmed ADB’s support for infrastructure development, climate resilience, and institutional reforms in Pakistan.

While appreciating ADB’s long-standing and steadfast support to Pakistan, the prime minister informed the visiting president about a series of reforms introduced by the government. The key reforms include enhancing tax revenues, improving financial sustainability of the energy sector, enhancing climate resilience, reduction in untargeted subsidies and scaling up social protection.

The prime minister emphasized that he is personally overseeing the progress of these reforms to ensure their successful implementation and long-term impact, underscoring the Government’s commitment to sustainable economic growth and stability. The prime minister appreciated ADB’s generous support of over US$ 1.5 billion in response to the devastating floods of 2022. He showed Pakistan’s keen desire to work with the development partners in climate resilience projects including agriculture.

The prime minister and president of ADB also witnessed the loan signing of the Sindh Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project amounting to US$400 million and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Roads Development Project worth US$320 million. Both these projects are part of the ADB’s flood commitments.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced the launch of a national initiative aimed at promoting organ donation, which features a special logo for voluntary organ donors on National Identity Cards.

“Individuals who voluntarily register themselves as organ donors will have a special, exclusive logo printed on their National Identity Cards, symbolizing their commitment to giving the gift of life,” the prime minister said in a message in connection with International Identity Day.

He said organ donation is a profound act of kindness that can give a new lease on life to those in need. “I encourage all citizens to participate in this initiative and become part of a life-saving community.”