Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that the government is committed not only to providing every possible support to the poor but also assisting them in skill development and capacity building programmes so that they may able to sustain themselves and permanently exit poverty traps.

The prime minister stated this while talking to a delegation of the Rural Support Program Network (RSPN), headed by its chairman Shoaib Sultan Khan, which called on him at Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday.

Other members of the delegation include Shandana Khan, Dr Rashid Bajwa, Masoodul Mulk, Muhammad Dittal Kalhoro, Nadir Gul and Muzaffaruddin.

PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi appreciated the efforts of RSPN and its contributions towards poverty alleviation in various parts of the country. Recalling the vision of the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that started the National Rural Support Programme in 1991, he said that government was taking all possible steps to facilitate poor in skill development and capacity building.

Shoaib Sultan Khan briefed the prime minister about the functions and working of RSPN that helps the poor break off shackles of poverty thorough fostering a three-tier social mobilisation network.

He said that the holistic approach followed by RSPN, including social networking, capacity building and human resource development, offering micro credit facility, infrastructure development, and provision of technical assistance along with necessary linkages has yielded positive results in various countries of South Asia in poverty reduction and enabling the poor earn their livelihood on sustainable basis.

Shaoib Sultan Khan said that trained staff and comprehensive network of RSP over the entire country could complement government’s initiatives to reach out and extract them out of vicious cycle of poverty.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that the people of Pakistan have a special affection for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Khadim-e-al-Harmain Al-Sharifain.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi received on Wednesday Dr Majed Abdullah Al-Qasabi, minister of commerce and investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dr Al-Qasabi is visiting Pakistan as a head of a 35-member Saudi delegation to participate in the 11th Session of Pak-Saudi Joint Ministerial Commission. Dr Al-Qasabi also emphasised upon the importance attached by Saudi Arabia to the special relationship with Pakistan.

The prime minister welcomed the holding of 11th Session of Pak-Saudi Joint Ministerial Commission, which is expected to enhance and strengthen bilateral economic relations.

The substantive decisions taken during the meeting of the Pak-Saudi JMC were also discussed with the Prime Minister.

These include establishment of a Working Group for export of Halal food from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia; Saudi investment in the construction of the South-North Gas Pipeline, accelerated negotiations on a bilateral investment treaty and exchange of parliamentary delegations.

In the context of export of Pakistani manpower to Saudi Arabia, the Saudi side agreed to set up a training institute in Pakistan to help meet its human resource requirements.

A delegation from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development would also be received in Saudi Arabia early next week. Also the Executive Director of NAVTTC has been invited to visit Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi side also agreed to visa relaxation and reduction in visa fees for Pakistanis.

Published in Daily Times, January 18^th 2018.