Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the federal budget includes measures aimed at empowering women and increasing their participation in national life.
The prime minister made the remarks during a meeting with women parliamentarians belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Islamabad.
He thanked the lawmakers for their active participation in the ongoing budget session and said the government had provided as much relief to the public as possible within available resources.
Shehbaz Sharif said the budget contains steps to strengthen the position of women and expand their role in the country's development process, describing women's empowerment as one of the government's foremost priorities.
The prime minister also spoke in detail about the new budget and Pakistan's efforts for regional peace. He said peace initiatives in the region had produced positive results and expressed gratitude to friendly countries for their support.
He praised Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other members of the government team for their sincere efforts towards peace and stability.
Shehbaz Sharif said lasting peace in the region and across the world was essential for economic progress in Pakistan and other countries.
Referring to recent economic challenges, he said the government had taken steps to shield the public from global inflation and had introduced a people-friendly budget despite difficult circumstances.
The prime minister said the government began austerity measures with the cabinet and public institutions, adding that it was unacceptable for ordinary citizens to make sacrifices while privileged groups continued to receive benefits.
He said the government provided Rs128 billion in subsidies and pursued large-scale cost-saving measures to reduce difficulties faced by the public.
Shehbaz Sharif said cooperation between the federation and provinces had helped maintain economic stability and added that positive economic benefits would reach the public once regional conditions returned to normal.
He said the government's focus for the coming year would remain on water resources, information technology, agriculture and minerals to strengthen the national economy.
The prime minister said the collective efforts of Team Pakistan would help place the country among the ranks of developed nations.
During the meeting, women parliamentarians presented proposals relating to public welfare, education, healthcare, employment opportunities for young people, industry, communications and food security.
