Salary raise for his brother: If Saqib Nisar had not intervened, PKLI could have progressed immensely, says PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed the authorities to ensure the timely production of urea and its delivery to farmers across the country. He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday on the production and supply of urea and load-shedding of electricity during the summer.

The meeting was given a detailed briefing on the production and consumption data of urea as well as gas supply to the urea industry. The prime minister said the government was taking all possible measures to reduce per acre cost for farmers. He said the government had made the prosperity of farmers and development of agriculture sector its top priority during the past one year.

On the issue of electricity load-shedding, the prime minister directed the Power Division to keep it to a minimum level in summer. He also issued directives to expedite the pace of work on restoration of the Neelum Jhelum project. The meeting was informed that after completing the restoration work of the project, production of low-cost electricity would be resumed from this project in July this year.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed that service delivery alone should govern competition for public office. In a tweet, he said politics is an arena where people compete to serve fellow citizens. The premier, however, regretted that our politics suffers from a structural flaw as it has unfortunately been reduced to shorthand for grandstanding and meaningless rhetoric. Politics is an arena where people compete to serve fellow citizens, PM Shehbaz Sharif said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the nation as well as doctors on the introduction of most sophisticated method of robotic surgery at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI). “Alhamdulillah, the efforts for liver and kidney treatment in Pakistan are coming to fruition,” the prime minister remarked. He said that the purpose of establishing PKLI was to provide a modern facility for the treatment of kidney and liver disease.

At the PKLI, a world-class liver and kidney treatment facility has been made available. PKLI will become the “John Hopkins of Pakistan”, he added.

The prime minister said that the PKLI could have progressed more if former chief justice Saqib Nisar had not intervened just to get a salary raise for his brother. The prime minister expressed the hope that the PKLI would play its role in reducing the mortality ratio and prevention of kidney and liver disease, which was on surge in the country.

The current mortality ratio of kidney disease stands at 2.77, which needed to be addressed through effective measures. The prime minister resolved that the government would establish PKLI-like state-of-the-art hospitals in other parts of the country. He said that the previous government had been using the technology to target government institutions and political adversaries but the incumbent government used it for public welfare as provision of education and health facilities was its priority.

He said the course of public welfare has been revived which was disrupted in 2018. “I will not give up the course of public welfare, whatsoever the cost is,” he commented.

The prime minister also directed the authorities to immediately confiscate the luxury vehicles being used illegally despite the expiry of the Carnet-de-Passage. A Carnet-de-Passage is an international agreement between two countries that allow the temporary importation of a car without having to pay customs duties. The prime minister questioned as why the relevant department failed to act against such vehicles well in time.

To enable a vast young segment, the prime minister also launched the Youth Business and Agri Loans Scheme which provides opportunities for the youth to earn their livelihood. The initiative is aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among the youth by providing business loans on simple terms and with less markup through 15 commercial, Islamic and SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) banks.

The prime minister, during the inauguration ceremony, remarked that the programme was also launched during former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s tenure at the federal level and Rs75 billion worth of loans were provided to 5,4000 youth which had not only benefited them, but also boosted the country’s economy. Islamic banking facilities can also be availed on the loan scheme. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the loan schemes aimed at making the youth self-reliant.

The prime minister lauded Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman for effectively highlighting the challenges faced by the country in the wake of climate change.Sherry Rehman, in a tweet, expressed gratitude to the prime minister for acknowledging her services in the field of climate change. “Thank you so much Prime Minister. Am truly humbled, and thank you for your support,” she said.