Pakistan actively engaged with global financial institutions, development partners: PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said Pakistan has actively engaged with international financial institutions and development partners to foster fiscal reforms, climate resilience and investment facilitation.

“Our efforts are guided by the conviction that no nation can prosperous in isolation and that our destinies are linked with each other very closely. Pakistan believes in global interaction and multilateralism,” he said this addressing the Inter- Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference in Islamabad.

Shehbaz called upon the world to stand united in promoting peace, advancing sustainable development and strengthening collective security.

He expressed confidence that nations can collectively build a world anchored in lasting peace and shared prosperity.

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Shehbaz said Pakistan had always advocated for peace through dialogue and diplomacy. “We firmly believe that peace and security forms the foundation of sustainable national and regional development,” he said.

He noted that the true value of peace was most profoundly understood when nations were confronted with the conflicts that continued to plague the world. He mentioned that Pakistan, too, had faced this turbulence both directly and indirectly. “However, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to maintaining peace and tranquility,” he added.

Citing Indian attacks on Pakistani soil, Shehbaz said Islamabad unfortunately faced unprovoked aggression from the eastern front in May. He said Pakistan’s highly professional armed forces displayed remarkable preparedness and performed outstandingly on the battlefield.

“Armed forces’ swift and decisive military action on land and in the air not only thwarted the enemy’s designs but also demonstrated to the aggressor and the entire world Pakistan’s iron resolve and determination to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs,” he said. After having won the war, he however emphasised that we need to win peace through sincere and honest efforts.

Shehbaz also said a peaceful Afghanistan held the key to regional connectivity, growth, progress and prosperity.

“Pakistan believes in a peaceful neighbourhood and has been striving hard for this purpose,” he said. He however regretted that militant groups continued to imperil peace not only within Afghanistan but also beyond its borders.

Referring to the attacks on Pakistan’s border posts in October, he said Pakistan’s response was firm and decisive, teaching an unforgettable lesson who attacked into their territory.

He urged Afghanistan to understand that lasting peace can only be realised by reining in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terrorist groups operating on the Afghan territory.

The prime minister also highlighted the reforms undertaken by government to promote inclusive growth, institutional strengthening and the empowerment of youth and women.

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PM Shehbaz emphasised parliaments had a unique and indispensable role to play to bring about improvement in the lives of the people.

In his remarks on the occasion, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani emphasised that parliaments must serve as beacons of guidance. He called for collective thought, commitment and action, underscoring the importance of parliamentary diplomacy. He highlighted that dialogue should act as a bridge, fostering cooperation as the shared path forward for all.

Alluding to the challenge posed by climate change, the Senate chairman said the parliamentary leaders should shape legislative agenda that recognises its complexity, ensuring that national security remains rooted in equitable human development.