Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz Saturday said that due to effective and vibrant foreign policy of the government the country was considered as important player at international level.
Addressing a press conference at Kohat Press Club, the Information Minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision and approach on national and international issues has earned respect for the country. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan always met with foreign leaders on equality basis and never compromised on the dignity of the nation and country.
Shibli Faraz said that Prime Minister was working hard and regularly holding meetings of the cabinet with sole objective to strengthen national economy and resolving peoples’ problems. He said that the government has launched various social welfare programmes like Ehsaas and Sehat Insaf Cards under which an amount of one million rupees would be given to each family for medical treatment.
The minister said that the world community appreciated Pakistan’s approach and strategy during first wave of coronavirus. “Our strategy of protecting lives and livelihood of people was successful in the first wave of pandemic”, he said.
He said that it was government’s priority to reduce inflation, adding that due to effective steps of government the prices of essential edible commodities have reduced during the last few days.
The minister said that the government has given incentives to industries to increase exports and create more jobs in various sectors.
He said that previous governments had ignored southern districts of Khyber Pakthtunkhwa, but the present PTI government has launched mega development projects and developed roads infrastructure to remove sense of deprivation among the people of these areas.
The minister said that he personally talked with officials concerned to overcome low gas pressure in Kohat, adding that the gas issue would be resolved within a few days. He said that dualization of Kohat-Rawalpindi road would be completed by June next.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz here Saturday said the development projects worth billions of rupees in the merged border districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be completed.
During a visit to Radio Pakistan Kohat, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan had a special relationship with the people of merged districts and under his leadership, Rs100 billion every year will be spent on the development projects in the merged districts. This will bring the far-flung and backward areas at par with developed areas, he added. Radio Pakistan was a national institution and an asset and a voice of the nation, he said.
The minister said the achievements of heroes of Kohat who excelled in different fields should be projected before the people and at the national and international level. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to build institutions to take the country forward. He said, “We have to build the institutions destroyed in the past.”
Shibli Faraz said Radio Pakistan was an important tool and asset and would be modernised, equipped with latest equipment and will be made a self-sustainable institution.
Shibli Faraz said the people will be informed about the development projects carried out by the democratic government of Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf.
He said the past governments burdened the country with massive debts and high current account deficit. The minister visited different sections of the radio station.
The Station Director Radio Pakistan Kohat briefed the minister about the programmes transmitted from the station.
Earlier, the minister visited the under construction 80-kilometre-long Hakla Kohat road, took a briefing from the officials of National Highway Authority and reviewed the pace of work.
Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Afridi also accompanied the minister. After completion of the project, the travel time between Islamabad and Kohat will be reduced from more than three hours to less than two hours.
The road project is expected to be completed by June next year.
According to an official of the National Highway Authority, the government had released the funds for the project. The minister directed that the road project should be completed on time.
