Pakistan says focusing on agriculture, health care investments on World Rural Development Day
According to Pakistan's latest population census, about 64 percent of the country's population resides in rural areas. These areas often lack health, education, clean drinking water, sanitation, Internet and other facilities.
Governments, civil society, international organizations and academic institutions are invited on July 6 every year to conduct concrete policy dialogues and grassroots initiatives to elevate rural voices and galvanize development efforts for people in the most remote places worldwide.
'Our government continues to prioritize inclusive rural development as a key pillar of national progress,' Sharif said in a message released by his office.
'In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, we are focusing on transforming rural livelihoods through targeted investments in agriculture, education, health care, infrastructure, skills training, and environmental sustainability,' he added.
Sharif noted Pakistan's villages and farmlands uphold the region's centuries-old values of resilience, cooperation and tradition, hailing their 'invaluable contributions' to various sectors.
'Significant strides have been made from expanding rural road networks and improving water and sanitation access, to empowering women and promoting climate-smart farming practices,' the Pakistani premier said.
He added that such efforts by the government reflect its resolve to ensure 'no part of Pakistan is left behind.'
'On this day, we renew our pledge to uplift our rural citizenry; supporting them as equal partners in shaping a stronger, more equitable, and prosperous Pakistan,' Sharif concluded.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Pakistan, Afghanistan discuss trade, security and connectivity amid thaw in ties
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Afghan officials on Monday met in Islamabad to discuss trade, visa, security, connectivity and refugee issues, amid a thaw in relations between the two neighbors. Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have been strained by a spike in militancy in Pakistan's western regions that border Afghanistan, following the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in 2021. Islamabad says anti-Pakistan militants carry out cross-border attacks using safe havens in Afghanistan, a charge Kabul denies. Another source of tension has been Pakistan's drive to expel Afghans, which first began in Nov. 2023. Pakistan this year said it wanted 3 million Afghans to leave the country, including 1.4 million people with Proof of Registration cards and some 800,000 with Afghan Citizen Cards. There are a further 1 million Afghans in the country illegally because they have no paperwork, according to officials. The two sides on Monday held an inaugural round of the additional secretary-level talks, pursuant to decisions reached during the visit of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to Kabul in April, during which he held meetings with top Afghan leadership that encompassed peace and security, people-to-people contacts, and trade and economic cooperation. 'Both sides recognized terrorism as a serious threat to regional peace and security. The Pakistani side emphasized the need for concrete actions against terrorist groups operating on Afghan soil, noting that such groups undermine Pakistan's security and hinder regional development,' the Pakistani foreign ministry said. 'The two sides exchanged views on deepening trade and transit cooperation. They reviewed the implementation status of measures announced during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan to Kabul for facilitating Afghan transit trade, including the removal of a 10 percent processing fee, provision of an insurance guarantee, reduction in scanning and examination, and operationalization of the track and trace system.' The Pakistani side was led by Additional Secretary for Afghanistan and West Asia, Ambassador Syed Ali Asad Gillani, while the Afghan side was led by Director-General of the First Political Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor. They underlined the importance of enhanced regional connectivity as a catalyst for sustainable growth and shared prosperity. 'Noting the strategic significance of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway in that regard, they agreed to make concerted efforts toward the early finalization of the Framework Agreement,' the Pakistani foreign ministry said. The 850-kilometer-long railway connectivity project aims to link Central Asia with Pakistan's southern ports of Gwadar and Karachi through Afghanistan to improve trade access for landlocked countries and strengthen economic integration across the region. Afghanistan's foreign ministry said the two sides stressed the need to resolve the 'issues of Afghan prisoners and refugees in Pakistan and facilitate the provision of visas to Afghan patients and businessmen.' 'Pakistan side shared an overview of its efforts to facilitate documented travel from Afghanistan, notably through the issuance of over 500,000 visas since January 2024 to date across a range of categories such as medical, tourist, business, and study. Both sides agreed to work together to further strengthen the legal movement of individuals across borders,' Islamabad's foreign ministry said. Both sides assured of continued mutual communication and cooperation to address current challenges and described security as important for regional development and further strengthening bilateral relations, according to the two foreign ministries. They decided to convene the next round of the additional secretary-level talks at mutually convenient dates.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistani finmin ties tariff overhaul to $44.9 billion export target in FY26 budget
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has stressed the significance of sustained tariff reform as a cornerstone of Pakistan's trade policy, the finance ministry said on Monday, as the country aims to boost exports, streamline imports and maintain a sustainable current account deficit. The statement came after Aurangzeb chaired a meeting of a steering committee for the implementation of the National Tariff Policy, which aims to create a predictable, transparent and investment-friendly tariff structure by facilitating duty-free access to raw materials, phasing out additional customs and regulatory duties, and supporting nascent and green industries to pave the way for innovation, employment generation and sustained economic growth. Pakistan has set an export target of $44.9 billion in the budget for this fiscal year that began on July 1, with $35.3 billion for goods and $9.6 billion for services sector. The government has proposed a target of $65.2 billion for goods imports, while it expects the imports of services to reach $14 billion, with the overall import volume significantly higher than export figures. Speaking at Monday's meeting, the finance minister highlighted that the steering committee was continuously monitoring progress of the tariff policy implementation, state of the country's foreign exchange reserves, and guiding the transition of domestic industry, according to the finance ministry. 'The National Tariff Policy represents a five-year roadmap toward liberalizing trade, fostering export-led growth, and enhancing industrial competitiveness,' he was quoted as saying by the ministry. During the meeting, the National Tariff Commission (NTC) outlined its pivotal role in safeguarding domestic industry through rational tariff structuring and trade remedy actions against unfair trade practices, including dumping, subsidized imports and harmful import surges. The commission apprised the participants of its efforts to bolster institutional capacity, including organizational reforms, targeted technical training, automation of internal processes, establishment of a dedicated facilitation center for exporters, and initiatives to enhance legal and analytical capabilities to strengthen service delivery. The finance minister urged the commission to ensure a level playing field for local producers, with the participants resolving to fully implement the National Tariff Policy to reinforce Pakistan's trade competitiveness and industrial development. Pakistan, currently bolstered by a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, unveiled the tariff policy last month to enable local industries to 'scale, compete globally and shift toward higher value-added exports.' Key sectors expected to benefit include textiles, engineering, pharmaceuticals and information technology, with the policy designed to lower production costs and attract businesses. Separately, Khurram Schehzad, an adviser to the finance minister, said the government had retired Rs500 billion ($1.7 billion) loan to the central bank early, with the overall early paydowns reaching Rs1.5 trillion. 'Early debt retirement while converting shorter-tenure with longer-tenure debt, significantly reduces concentration risk, lowers future liabilities, and strengthens the country's macroeconomic foundations by curbing reliance on borrowing,' he said on X. 'This latest achievement builds on an earlier milestone — the successful buyback of PKR 1 trillion in market debt completed by December 2024 — the first such operation in Pakistan's history. Combined, these two strategic actions amount to the early retirement of PKR 1.5 trillion in public debt in FY25, sending a strong signal of economic confidence and reform.' He said these early repayments and smart refinancing, capitalizing on the significant decline in interest rates with the government's disciplined borrowing, led to a staggering Rs830 billion in interest cost savings in the outgoing fiscal year that ended on June 30.
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan finance minister stresses tariff reform to achieve budgetary targets
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has stressed the significance of sustained tariff reform as a cornerstone of Pakistan's trade policy, the finance ministry said on Monday, as the country aims to boost exports, streamline imports and maintain a sustainable current account deficit. The statement came after Aurangzeb chaired a meeting of a steering committee for the implementation of the National Tariff Policy, which aims to create a predictable, transparent and investment-friendly tariff structure by facilitating duty-free access to raw materials, phasing out additional customs and regulatory duties, and supporting nascent and green industries to pave the way for innovation, employment generation and sustained economic growth. Pakistan has set an export target of $44.9 billion in the budget for this fiscal year that began on July 1, with $35.3 billion for goods and $9.6 billion for services sector. The government has proposed a target of $65.2 billion for goods imports, while it expects the imports of services to reach $14 billion, with the overall import volume significantly higher than export figures. Speaking at Monday's meeting, the finance minister highlighted that the steering committee was continuously monitoring progress of the tariff policy implementation, state of the country's foreign exchange reserves, and guiding the transition of domestic industry, according to the finance ministry. 'The National Tariff Policy represents a five-year roadmap toward liberalizing trade, fostering export-led growth, and enhancing industrial competitiveness,' he was quoted as saying by the ministry. During the meeting, the National Tariff Commission (NTC) outlined its pivotal role in safeguarding domestic industry through rational tariff structuring and trade remedy actions against unfair trade practices, including dumping, subsidized imports and harmful import surges. The commission apprised the participants of its efforts to bolster institutional capacity, including organizational reforms, targeted technical training, automation of internal processes, establishment of a dedicated facilitation center for exporters, and initiatives to enhance legal and analytical capabilities to strengthen service delivery. The finance minister urged the commission to ensure a level playing field for local producers, with the participants resolving to fully implement the National Tariff Policy to reinforce Pakistan's trade competitiveness and industrial development. Pakistan, currently bolstered by a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, unveiled the tariff policy last month to enable local industries to 'scale, compete globally and shift toward higher value-added exports.' Key sectors expected to benefit include textiles, engineering, pharmaceuticals and information technology, with the policy designed to lower production costs and attract businesses. Separately, Khurram Schehzad, an adviser to the finance minister, said the government had retired Rs500 billion ($1.7 billion) loan to the central bank early, with the overall early paydowns reaching Rs1.5 trillion. 'Early debt retirement while converting shorter-tenure with longer-tenure debt, significantly reduces concentration risk, lowers future liabilities, and strengthens the country's macroeconomic foundations by curbing reliance on borrowing,' he said on X. 'This latest achievement builds on an earlier milestone — the successful buyback of PKR 1 trillion in market debt completed by December 2024 — the first such operation in Pakistan's history. Combined, these two strategic actions amount to the early retirement of PKR 1.5 trillion in public debt in FY25, sending a strong signal of economic confidence and reform.' He said these early repayments and smart refinancing, capitalizing on the significant decline in interest rates with the government's disciplined borrowing, led to a staggering Rs830 billion in interest cost savings in the outgoing fiscal year that ended on June 30.
