PM Shehbaz arrives in Turkiye as part of four-nation tour
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Istanbul, Turkiye on Sunday as part of his four-nation diplomatic tour.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister's office, the premier was received by Turkiye's Minister for National Defence Yasar Gulen.
His trip is part of Pakistan's efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and address regional and global challenges.
The high-level delegation includes Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.
During his visit, PM Shehbaz will also visit Iran, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan from May 25 to May 30, 2025.
PM to embark on 4-state visit today
During these visits, he will engage in wide-ranging discussions with the leadership of these countries on bilateral relations and matters of regional and international significance.
A key focus of the tour will be expressing gratitude for the support extended by friendly nations during Pakistan's recent crisis with India.
The Prime Minister will also participate in the International Conference on Glaciers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on May 29-30, highlighting Pakistan's commitment to climate change and environmental cooperation.
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Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Shehbaz Sharif orders immediate measures following India's unilateral indus waters treaty suspension
Listen to article Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday condemned India's unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), calling it a 'blatant violation' and an act of 'water aggression' that will receive a resolute response. Chairing a high-level meeting on water security, Sharif warned that any threat to Pakistan's water rights would be met under national security decisions made on April 24. He likened the water dispute to a battle for justice and vowed unity in the face of growing regional tensions. The high-level meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Field Marshal COAS General Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, chief ministers of all four provinces, Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, and senior federal and provincial officials. 'This is a battle of justice, and like every battle we have fought with unity, we will defeat India's water aggression with resolve and wisdom,' said the prime minister. He emphasised that living nations confront challenges head-on and make strategic, lasting decisions to protect their future generations. Addressing a high-level meeting on water security at the Prime Minister's House, Shehbaz Sharif said India's alleged attempts to weaponise water are intensifying, and stressed that the 1960 treaty, being a binding international agreement, does not allow any signatory to exit unilaterally. He described India's stance as 'politically and legally hollow.' The meeting was marked by a unified political front, with all four provincial chief ministers, the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan jointly rejecting what they termed as Indian threats. The prime minister welcomed this collective response, calling it 'a reflection of our collective national resolve to protect Pakistan's water security.' In response to the situation, the prime minister directed the formation of a high-level committee under Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. Read more: Modi says Pakistan will not get water from Indian-controlled rivers The body has been tasked with devising funding strategies for new dam projects and includes representation from all provinces, AJK, and relevant federal ministries. The committee has been instructed to present its findings within 72 hours. 'We will prioritise the construction of non-controversial reservoirs. Wherever there is unanimity, we must act without delay. These dams are not political — they are a national necessity,' the Prime Minister said. He made it clear that any project with cross-provincial consensus will be fast-tracked and completed on a priority basis. A technical briefing during the session detailed Pakistan's current water storage capacity and ongoing projects. The Diamer-Bhasha Dam is scheduled for completion in 2032, while the Mohmand Dam is expected to finish by 2027. Also read: Pakistan warns India: don't weaponise water Pakistan currently has 11 operational dams with a cumulative capacity of 15.318 million acre-feet. Under the Public Sector Development Programme, 32 dams are under construction, and 79 other projects are underway through annual development schemes. Highlighting infrastructure challenges, Shehbaz Sharif drew attention to sediment accumulation in existing dams such as Tarbela and Mangla, which has severely reduced their efficiency. He urged the leadership to make bold choices, warning that future generations would judge them for inaction. 'We owe it to our 240 million people to act decisively. This is not about politics — it's about survival. The future generations must remember this leadership with respect for the choices we make today,' he declared. Read: Pakistan will never accept Indian hegemony, says Field Marshal Munir The prime minister also praised the efforts of the finance and economic affairs ministries, as well as key officials, for securing loans from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. He claimed that Indian lobbying efforts to derail Pakistan's funding plans at the ADB had failed. 'India tried to sabotage our projects at the ADB for three days, but failed. Our diplomatic victory is a testament to Pakistan's principled stand and growing credibility,' he noted. As the meeting concluded, Shehbaz Sharif reiterated confidence in the solidarity of Pakistan's political and military leadership. 'Just as our brave armed forces stood firm in the battlefield, we must now stand united in securing every drop of water for our people,' he said. Among those present at the meeting were Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar; Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir; Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif; Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal; Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar; Information Minister Attaullah Tarar; Power Minister Owais Leghari; Water Resources Minister Muneeb Wattoo; and other senior federal officials. Read: Won't allow India to cross IWT red line: PM Chief Ministers Maryam Nawaz (Punjab), Murad Ali Shah (Sindh), Ali Amin Gandapur (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa), and Sarfraz Bugti (Balochistan) also participated, along with AJK Prime Minister Anwarul Haq and GB Chief Minister Gulbar Khan.
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Business Recorder
PM says issues facing Balochistan will be resolved
QUETTA: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Saturday said the issues faced by the people of Balochistan would be resolved amicably and funds would be made available for the development and progress of the largest province. Addressing a grand Jirga of Balochistan here, he said all provinces were like brothers and would equally share resources of the country. The federal government was spending Rs 70 billion on the solarisation project in Balochistan, he said, adding Rs 150 billion would be diverted for the building of highway N25 in Balochistan. These funds would be acquired from the amount which the government was collecting after the lowering down of prices of petroleum products in the international market. India has intensified 'terrorism campaign' inside Pakistan through proxies, says PM Shehbaz The prime minister said the government would allocate Rs 1000 billion for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) this year and 25 percent or Rs 250 billion from the fund would be for projects in Balochistan. He said federal funds were the right of people of Balochistan and every penny would be spent transparently on the progress and prosperity of the province. As chief minister of Punjab, he said, he has allocated ten percent quota for the students of Balochistan in different schemes of Punjab including laptop schemes and scholarships in the foreign and provincial educational institutions. In the past, Rs two billion were allocated for a heart hospital in Balochistan, he continued. He recalled that Punjab had agreed to give part of its funds from the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award to Balochistan in view of its development needs as the province had a larger area. In today's value, the funds diverted to Balochistan amounted to Rs 160 billion, he explained. The NFC award was signed in Lahore in 2010 after three days of discussions among the national leadership including President Asif Ali Zardari, the then prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and Nawaz Sharif, he added. He said in the tenure of Nawaz Sharif lot of development projects were undertaken in Balochistan and President Zardari initiated Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan. He said the elders of Balochistan decided to become part of Pakistan under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Talking about incidents of terrorism in Balochistan, he said terrorists were blood thirsty and were against the progress of Pakistan and were undertaking heinous acts at the behest of foreign elements. He said terrorists in Balochistan were foreign agents who had resorted to barbarity but they would not be tolerated by the government and armed forces of Pakistan. He assured that social and economic justice would be delivered to the people of Balochistan. Referring to the latest incidents in Sorab, he said the country could not make progress without peace. Talking about conflict with India, he said on the midnight of May 6 and 7 and May 10 India attacked Pakistan but with the grace of Allah, the armed forces of Pakistan bravely defeated the enemy, who will remember its failure forever. He thanked people of Pakistan for showing unity and standing with the Pakistan army shoulder to shoulder during the conflict. As prime minister he was witness to all the events of the short duration war, he said adding as a brave and sagacious leader Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir led Pakistan armed forces to a victory against India and made the nation proud and the success was akin to avenging the events of 1971. He said now the enemy was scared and the friendly countries were more confident after success of Pakistan. He recalled that Pakistan conducted six nuclear explosions in response to five detonations of India in 1998, adding Nawaz Sharif was leader of the nation on that momentous occasion, which fortified the defence of Pakistan. Field Marshal Chief of Army Staff Syed Asim Munir, Acting Governor Balochistan Governor Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti and high ranking military and civil officials attended the event. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Saturday stressed that the threats faced by Pakistan were no longer confined to conventional warfare and highlighted the need for preparedness across multiple domains. He was addressing officers at the Command and Staff College here. Joined by Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal and Attaullah Tarar, Balochistan Corps Commander Lt Gen Rahat Naseem Ahmed Khan, and DG ISPR Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the Prime Minister outlined a comprehensive vision for national resilience. 'Pakistan's threats are no longer limited to traditional warfare,' said PM Sharif. 'Our military, political, and economic institutions must be equally prepared to face hybrid challenges, from border security to economic sabotage.' He paid tribute to the Pakistan Armed Forces for their valour and professionalism, citing the response to the Pulwama incident as an example of national strength. 'While India targeted innocent civilians, our Air Force responded with precision, striking seven high-value targets,' he said, adding that the incident proved Pakistan's operational readiness on land and in the air. The Prime Minister strongly criticised India's propaganda and its attempt to weaponize events like the Pulwama attack. He emphasised that Pakistan responded firmly, diplomatically and militarily. 'India tried to make water a weapon, but we have drawn a red line. Pakistan will never allow its water rights to be violated,' he added. He praised the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar for their strategic foresight, asserting that Pakistan's armed forces and people stand united against any aggression. 'The recent tensions have only boosted the morale of our nation and forces,' he remarked. He noted that when he assumed office for 16-month tenure, the country was facing severe challenges, but none were insurmountable. 'Our focus remains on the economy, reforms, and counterterrorism,' he said. He pointed to significant achievements since the beginning of economic reforms in March 2024. 'Tax revenue has increased by 28% compared to last year. The introduction of a faceless assessment system at Karachi Port has improved transparency. Inflation has dropped from 38% to single digits. The Pakistani rupee is now stable,' he added. Shehbaz Sharif also emphasized the government's zero-tolerance policy on corruption, crediting tough decisions and anti-smuggling measures for economic stabilization. 'We are introducing modern technologies, including crypto regulation and blockchain, to align Pakistan with the global financial landscape,' he announced. He reaffirmed Pakistan's strong ties with countries like China, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Qatar, and the Gulf states. 'Our strategic friendships have endured every test. These nations stood by us in our most difficult times,' he said. The Prime Minister called for collective national effort and hard work to join the ranks of great nations. 'Success comes from perseverance. Together, we will transform Pakistan into a model for the world,' he declared. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Business Recorder
Issues of Balochistan to be resolved amicably: PM Shehbaz
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said the issues faced by the people of Balochistan would be resolved amicably and funds would be made available for the development and progress of the largest province. Addressing a grand jirga of Balochistan, he said the four provinces were like brothers and would equally share resources of the country. The federal government was spending Rs70 billion on the solarisation project in Balochistan, he said, adding Rs150 billion would be diverted for the building of highway N25 in Balochistan. India has intensified 'terrorism campaign' inside Pakistan through proxies, says PM Shehbaz The funds would be acquired from the amount, which the government was collecting after the lowering down of prices of petroleum products in the international market. The prime minister said the government would allocate Rs1,000 billion for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) this year and 25% or Rs250 billion from the fund would be for projects in Balochistan. He said federal funds were the right of people of Balochistan and every penny would be spent transparently on the progress and prosperity of the province.
