Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday declared that the government had introduced a Ramazan relief package for the public without the involvement of Utility Stores.

He stated that inflation had reached its lowest point in nine years, dropping to 2.4 per cent in January on a monthly basis. Addressing the federal cabinet meeting, Sharif expressed satisfaction over the enforcement of agricultural tax by the provinces and voiced determination to move towards economic growth.

PM Shehbaz said, “With the blessings of the Higher Power, inflation has declined to its lowest level in nearly a decade. Now, our utmost effort is to propel the country towards economic stability.”

The prime minister directed the Ministry of Food Security to ensure that the Ramazan package remained free from corruption and substandard goods, emphasising that this step was taken due to persistent complaints regarding utility stores in the previous year.

He lamented the loss of security personnel, attributing the ongoing sacrifices to past misjudgements. “Our young men are laying down their lives today, which is a consequence of historic blunders when terrorists were given leniency,” he stated. PM Shehbaz underscored that these grievous mistakes had resulted in hundreds of martyrs and wounded personnel, whose sacrifices would always be remembered in history.

The premier acknowledged that the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan had implemented the agricultural tax a day earlier and extended gratitude to all four provinces for fulfilling the International Monetary Fund’s requirement.

Federal cabinet deliberations on Gwadar port development

Immediate steps ordered for commercial operations

The federal cabinet, under the leadership of PM Shehbaz, issued a communiqué detailing key directives concerning Gwadar port.

PM Shehbaz instructed immediate measures for the port’s commercial operations and formed a committee under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal to collaborate with stakeholders for modernising and fully operationalising the port.

The premier directed the committee to devise an effective marketing and awareness strategy for Gwadar port, stressing the need for diplomatic initiatives to promote its utility.

He also ordered an international conference to highlight its significance. Furthermore, he sought a comprehensive report on the imports and exports facilitated through the port.

During a briefing, Iqbal outlined the port’s strategic benefits, stating that it provided a cost-effective and time-saving maritime route to the Persian Gulf for vessels up to 50,000 deadweight tonnage. The briefing highlighted that the port possessed the capability to serve as a trans-shipment hub for Gulf nations and would play a pivotal role in advancing Balochistan’s mining and aquaculture sectors.

Additionally, it was noted that Gwadar port would facilitate trade for China’s western regions and Central Asian republics. Officials stated that Gwadar Free Zone had been exempted from all federal, provincial, and local taxes, with the regulatory framework already established.

The briefing revealed that from 2018 to 2022, criminal negligence had plagued the port’s dredging operations. However, in 2022-23, the task had been successfully completed. Authorities reported that all necessary utilities had been provided at the port, alongside the implementation of various public welfare projects in Gwadar.

The government was working on integrating Gwadar into Pakistan Railways' Main Line M-4 network. Officials mentioned that the Gwadar-Quetta highway had been completed in 2018, benefiting areas including Turbat, Hoshab, and Panjgur. Furthermore, the M-8 motorway project, linking Gwadar, Hoshab, and Ratodero, was progressing, with additional road networks under construction, such as the Nokundi-Mashkhel and Mashkhel-Panjgur routes.

Officials informed that the Gwadar East Bay Expressway was nearing completion, while collaboration with the Balochistan government continued on the Gwadar Safe City initiative.