Change taking root: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said the process started by the government to bring an overall change in the country had strengthened and the federal government would spare no effort to assist and strengthen the provinces.

Chairing a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on agriculture and food processing, he asked the provincial governments to submit their recommendations about stabilizing and promoting the agriculture sector within a week.

Minister for food security, provincial ministers for agriculture, federal and provincial secretaries and heads of agricultural institutions were in attendance.

Imran said promotion of agriculture was the federal government’s priority and it would assist the provincial governments to exploit the agricultural potential of the country.

He said the government will live up to its promise of facilitating the investors.

Meanwhile, in a meeting with the PTI MNA, Imran said improving the living standard of the people, was the PTI government’s manifesto.

The MNA hailed from Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan.

The prime minister urged the parliamentarians to carry forward the measures taken for betterment of the people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur, MNAs Shahid Ahmed, Noreen Farooq Ibrahim, Shandana Gulzar and Yaqoob Sheikh attended the meeting.

Special Assistant to the PM Naeemul Haq, Spokesman Nadeem Afzal Chan and PTI’s Secretary General Arshad Dad were also present.

The parliamentarians apprised the prime minister about the problems of their respective constituencies. Mentioning the immense potential of tourism in the KP, Imran said he believed promotion of tourism would help improve the provincial as well as the national economy.

He assured the parliamentarians that their issues would be resolved on priority.

He also directed the KP government to devise a plan for resolving the issue of clean drinking water in Karak and DI Khan.

Meanwhile, Edotco Group of Malaysia, with an existing investment of $100 million in Pakistan, is planning to further increase their investment in the country in tower infrastructure by adding an investment of $250 million (Rs34.5 billion) during the next five years.

The plan was revealed by Board of Directors Chairman Edotco Group of Malaysia Datuk Azzat Kamaluddin, who called on Prime Minister Imran Khan here.

Besides Dr Nik Ramlah Nik Mehmood, Suresh Narain Singh Sidhu and Arif Hussain, High Commissioner of Malaysia Ikram Mohammad Ibrahim, Board of Investment (BoI) Chairman Haroon Sharif and Secretary Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera were also present in the meeting.

Edotco Group Malaysia chairman appreciated the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan as well as the policies being pursued by the present government.

He said Edotco wanted to become a partner in Digital Pakistan Program.

The prime minister highlighted the various steps being taken to improve the Ease of Doing Business in Pakistan and assured that all possible facilitation would be provided to the investors.