<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged his cabinet members to immediately commence work towards achieving the targets set in a five-year roadmap he shared with all the relevant ministries on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Addressing a cabinet meeting, the prime minister said he shared broad parameters of the five-year plan with the relevant ministries and set various targets. He added these ministries must form strategies immediately to resolve the litany of issues plaguing the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to come together and use the resources and tools at our disposal without wasting time,\u201d PM Shehbaz said. \u201cWe will procure whatever tools we don\u2019t have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the shared parameters, he said the ministries concerned should evolve mechanisms, hire human resources and formulate strategies to meet their targets within the five-year period.<\/p>\n
He said that to overcome delays and red tape, a forum like the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) was available to hire consultants and experts. However, the premier maintained that the relevant rules must be adhered to.<\/p>\n
Shehbaz said that a fully automated accountability mechanism would be implemented to ensure the relevant ministries meet their goals. \u201cResponsibility, with authority and accountability, will be the hallmark of the five-year roadmap. No system in the world can progress without it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will sit with ministers and see why no progress was made,\u201d PM Shehbaz added. \u201cWithout accountability and proactive supervision, the dream of progress will always remain distant.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prime minister stressed using the country\u2019s talented human resources to achieve the targets and urged the ministries to adopt innovative tools and thinking, besides reducing the backlog of work files.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a five-year term to transform the economic situation of the country, but for that purpose, we have to commence our work immediately,\u201d he emphasised.<\/p>\n
To achieve self-sufficiency, the prime minister said that the cabinet had to reduce the burden of foreign debts, increase GDP, create jobs, develop agriculture and IT sectors, bring reforms in the energy sector and end smuggling and leakages in revenue collection.<\/p>\n
He gave the example of using low-quality seeds in agriculture, saying, \u201cIf we use high-quality seeds, agriculture will thrive and the economy will thrive. If we don\u2019t invest in the youth, then we cannot reap the benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n
He expressed confidence in his cabinet, saying that it was a combination of youth and experience. \u201cNew and old staff can bring about change if they work together.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the wheels of the economy move, the country will progress,\u201d he added, further saying that the cabinet members must complete the required initiatives themselves to achieve economic stability. \u201cWe have to make this progress ourselves, IMF (International Monetary Fund) or no IMF.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prime minister said that a meeting was held on Friday to address leakages in revenue collection, where he instructed the interior ministry to produce a presentation on potential steps.<\/p>\n
Shehbaz also appreciated the interim government for recovering Rs58 billion from the power sector, expressing his pride that such a target was achieved in the shortest period for the first time in the country\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
The prime minister said that underperforming judges would be sidelined, while \u201cnew judges of the highest calibre\u201d would be brought in and well-compensated for their services.<\/p>\n
He added that judges would be assessed through written tests, oral vivas and interviews by various universities. Shehbaz also said he would increase judges\u2019 salaries to ensure that they performed at their best.<\/p>\n
\u201cI increased judiciary and police wages by 100 per cent when I was appointed chief minister in 2018,\u201d he recalled. \u201cIf a good judge receives the minimum economic protection, he will do his best. It is a deal well done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Around Rs27bn remained inaccessible in appellate courts and for the expeditious disposal of these cases, the cabinet would bring competent judges with enhanced incentives, Shehbaz added.<\/p>\n
He further said that Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa had also assured him of complete support during a recent meeting.<\/p>\n
The prime minister noted that efforts must be made to reduce official expenditures. \u201cWe must get out of this monotonous and archaic system,\u201d he said, adding that achieving a $25bn IT export target was not unfeasible.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we get near it (the $25bn target) it will be a great achievement. However, we need infrastructure and need to bring in human resources for fields, including cybersecurity and invite international business transactions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prime minister also assured that the cabinet would provide all available resources to the military, to ensure that their \u201cminimum requirement as a deterrent\u201d is maintained.<\/p>\n