Accountability, security imperative for development of country: Shahbaz Gill

FAISALABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill on Wednesday said that accountability and security were imperative for the development of the country.

Addressing a meeting of Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturing and Exporters Association (PHMA) here, he said that value-added and services sectors were considered as backbone of the industrial growth in the world which earn 80 percent foreign exchange.

He said the government was focusing on development of the value-added sector in the country, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan was keen to promote this sector.

He said the PTI government was formulating people-friendly policies to overcome the issue of poverty by providing maximum employment opportunities.

Shahbaz Gill said the government was implementing long term policies, adding the past government artificially controlled the price of US Dollar.

He said, a comprehensive policy was being formulated to increase the per acre cotton yield to meeting the local requirement.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan while taking personal interest had made the agriculture sector as part of the CPEC, adding that this sector would be promoted by applying modern machinery with the the cooperation of China.

The SAMP said the government was taking special measures for bringing improvement in the police department.

He said that change was imperative for the improvement, therefore, the government would not hesitate to take tough decisions.

Shahbaz assured the exporters that he would talk to Prime Minister Imran Khan about the issues they were facing.

He said the past government set up two sugar mills in the cotton belt area of Southern Punjab and destroyed the production of cotton crops willfully.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had cut 38 percent expenditures of the Prime Minister Secretariat during the current year.

He also appreciated the role of factories and mills administration that provided salaries to the workers during the coronavirus period and said that Premier Imran Khan was keen to the welfare of working class.

He said the past governments signed contracts of expensive electricity with IPPs and now the people were facing tough situations.

To a question, he said that provinces were independent under the 18th amendment, adding that the PPP had been ruling Sindh Province for the last 12 years and it should clean drains in Karachi to avoid the current flooded situation due to rains.

He said the PTI government did not believe in political victimization. Earlier, Chairman Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturing and Exporters Association North Zone Mian Naeem Ahmed presented a welcome address and highlighted the issues of the exporters especially about energy sector.

A large number of traders including Muhammad Amjad Khawaja, Mian Kashif Zia, Engineer Ihtesham Javed, Chaudhry Muhammad Nawaz, Shaheen Tabassum, Rana Aslam were present in the meeting. Later, Shahbaz Gill was presented an honorary shield by the Chairman PHMA Mian Naeem Ahmed.