Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, without giving any roadmap for the first 10, 50 or 100 days has started off his journey and now even his worst detractors agree that he has delivered within a fortnight of his being in the government.
He has been active on both the domestic and foreign fronts.
First, the domestic one:
Power plants are running to their capacity, and the curse of load shedding will soon vanish;
Diesel shortage has been overcome, and the cultivation of the wheat crop is going as per plan;
The public is getting much-awaited relief on groceries through targeted subsidies, and the law and order situation is turning to normalcy, though some pockets of the erstwhile FATA and Balochistan require extra attention.
The prime minister starts working from early morning, and ends the day quite late night. The projects which remained stalled for years, have seen completion after the prime minister took notice of them. This is the spirit which Pakistan requires for the quick fixing of problems.
The foreign policy is getting a new shape under the guidance of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
The prime minister himself led a high-level delegation to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to discuss and review the historic relations between the two countries and the most important extension in the term of a $3 billion loan. If the extension is granted, the new government will overcome the prevailing economic crisis. There are reports that Saudi Arabia has agreed to increase the existing over $4bn assistance package to Pakistan to over $7 billion. The prime minister was accorded a warm welcome in the Kingdom where the ruling royals affirmed their continuous support to Pakistan and its economy. Moreover, both sides have explored options to further enhance the financing of petroleum products and supporting the economic and structural reforms for the benefit of Pakistan and its people. Pakistan also stands by Saudi Arabia at regional and international levels, and both sides agreed to continue coordinating their positions in a way that serves their interests.
From the Kingdom, the prime minister flew to the United Arab Emirates, and met Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. They discussed advancing the longstanding relations between the two nations, had extensive consultations on a range of bilateral, regional and international issues and the prospects of propelling cooperation on various fronts.
The third destination of the prime minister is China. The daunting task for both sides is to revive the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. During the last three years, no visible progress was seen on any project. After China, the most important destination is the US. Hopefully, the prime minister will get a kind audience from the White House.
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Today is Eid-ul-Fitr. The management and staff of the Minute Mirror wish a happy, blessed Eid to all our readers. Eid is the occasion to celebrate happiness with family, friends and the have nots. This is a day when we need to demonstrate unity, peace of mind, and sharing and caring. We should also remember the victims of the devastating violence in places like Kashmir, Palestine and Israel. There are also places where political and military conflicts and humanitarian crises have raged the Middle East region, such as Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Afghanistan. Don’t forget them in your prayers.
