To a query, the prime minister said that holding of dialogue with India hinged upon its intentions to seriously discuss the key issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir where the Indian forces had been committing gross human rights violations and trampling the rights of Kashmiris.
About his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, the prime minister said that he had held a very constructive and positive meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman who had reiterated assurance for making investment in Pakistan. The crown prince had expressed his readiness to support Pakistan, he said, adding that Saudi Arabia had always been a reliable partner and friend and always supported Pakistan in hard times without attaching any strings to its consistent support.
The prime minister said that ties with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were forged upon centuries old friendship, religion and spiritual affinities strengthened with mutual friendship and trust. A huge number of Pakistani expatriates had been serving there, he added.
He said the Saudi crown prince would soon visit Pakistan and would be accorded warm welcome by the Pakistani nation. The prime minister further informed that the crown prince, upon his request, had waived off punishment awarded to those people making ruckus in the holy places. He said that he would be undertaking a visit to China who was a trustworthy friend and this trust was unfading as the Chinese and Pakistani leadership had always supported each other. During 2015, these time-tested ties surged to new heights when then prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) under which 30 billion dollars investment was made and power generation plants were set up, producing hundreds of megawatts power at a time when the country was facing 20 hours load shedding. He said the road infrastructure was also completed with the help of China, besides setting nuclear power plants. The friendship between the two countries was higher than Himalayas and deeper than seas, he said and expressed that his upcoming visit would further strengthen these bilateral ties.
The prime minister said Nawaz Sharif with his sagacity, had also set up gas fired power plants from the country’s own resources which produced 5000 MW. He said the recent monsoon floods triggered by incessant rains had caused more than $40 billion losses to the country. He said the government had allocated more than Rs100 billion to support the flood affected families. He said they had so far disbursed Rs 70 billion among the deserving people in a very transparent manner under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Each family had been given Rs 25,000 as cash support, besides provided them tents, mosquitos nets, medicines and food packs and in these efforts, they were supported by other countries.
The prime minister said that about 13000km roads were damaged in the floods, standing crops on 4 million acres of land were swept away, especially in Sindh. He said that the government had revived the IMF’s programme and saved Pakistan from default.