Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain while meeting with the media delegation of United Arab Emirates said that Pakistan and UAE shared a unique relationship premised on historical, cultural and economic ties, underpinned by mutual trust and respect.
He said that Pakistan highly values its friendship and fraternal relations with the brotherly country and held president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed in high esteem.
The information minister said Pakistan would like to further enhance co-operation and collaboration between the two countries in areas mutually beneficial to the people of both lands. He said that forging cordial relations with the government of UAE was the top priority of the government as UAE had always been at the forefront in delivering humanitarian relief and assistance to Pakistan in times of need.
While highlighting the priorities of the government, the information minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had constituted 15 task forces to deal with multiple challenges and issue of environment had been placed on top of its agenda in line with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf manifesto. He said that the prime minister had formed the team of capable persons with requisite expertise in the relevant fields with a view to devise and implement a comprehensive strategy to take the country out of myriads of issues and challenges including energy, environment and economy.
Chaudhry Fawad Hussain reiterated that Pakistanis were a resilient nation and would surmount all the challenges through impregnated unity and collective will. He informed the delegation that government was seriously contemplating to introduce some robust reforms in the local government system of the country as it believed that transfer of power at gross roots level and people’s easy excess to their concerned representatives would not only empower them but would also help them in the resolution of their basic issues. While responding to a question about Indo-Pak relations, he said that PM Imran Khan had already stated, “If India moved one step for peace, we shall take two steps ahead.”
In modern times, the focus was on regional peace and development and not on a single country, therefore, peaceful and prosperous Pakistan was in the interest of the entire region, he added.
Responding to another query, he said that Pakistan enjoyed warm relations with all brethren Muslim countries of the Gulf Region.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Additional Secretary Shafqat Jalil and External Publicity Wing Director General Zahoor Barlas were also present in the meeting.
Published in Daily Times, September 4th 2018.
