“A Year of Governance: PM Shehbaz Sharif’s Journey in Office”

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif provided assurance that sincere efforts are currently underway to revitalize Pakistan’s economy, while also recalling the challenges faced by his government during the past year, as the federal coalition celebrated its one-year anniversary in power.

Last year, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) successfully garnered support from PTI and allied lawmakers as they initiated a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan. Consequently, Khan’s term as Prime Minister ended on April 10, as the opposition’s no-trust motion received 174 votes in favor out of the total 342.

The following day, Shehbaz Sharif secured a one-sided election in the National Assembly with 174 votes, and was sworn in as the Prime Minister after the PTI announced the mass resignation of its lawmakers.

As the PDM government completes one year in power today, the Prime Minister took to Twitter to share his perspective on the challenges faced by the government during this time.

He acknowledged that the no-confidence vote against the Imran-led government was unprecedented, not only because the PDM came to power, but because various political forces in Pakistan united to use the forum of Parliament to democratically vote out an unpopular government.

The Prime Minister highlighted that the coming together of political parties with different manifestos for a common national cause represents a major step forward in the country’s political evolution, emphasizing that reconciliation and cooperation, rather than confrontation and vendetta, characterize the new politics post-April ’22.

He also mentioned that despite the economic challenges posed by the PTI chairman and global fuel and food supply disruptions, the incumbent government has managed to keep Pakistan’s economy afloat and sincere efforts are underway to revive it, refuting false predictions of default.

The Prime Minister further shared that the coalition government has been diligently working to repair, rebuild, and deepen Pakistan’s diplomatic ties that were severely impacted by the previous regime, and has largely succeeded in establishing Pakistan’s credibility as a partner and friend on the international stage.

He also highlighted the government’s efforts in addressing natural disasters, such as last year’s devastating floods, through rescue, relief, and rehabilitation measures, and mobilizing the international community, which has been acknowledged as outstanding by the world.

The Prime Minister underscored the government’s focus on diversifying the energy mix, including solar, hydel, and coal power projects, with the aim of replacing costlier sources of power generation with more affordable ones to provide relief to the citizens.

In addressing the issue of sky-high inflation, the Prime Minister mentioned that the government has expanded the social safety net and provided targeted subsidies to mitigate its impact on the vulnerable segments of society.

Furthermore, he credited Pakistan’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list to excellent inter-ministerial coordination and support from the military leadership, and highlighted the sustained efforts that made it possible.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the government’s focus on early completion of development and transport infrastructure projects in Islamabad to provide ease, comfort, and affordable mobility to the people, particularly in improving public transport infrastructure.

Overall, the Prime Minister expressed confidence in the government’s efforts to overcome challenges and achieve positive outcomes for the people of Pakistan in the past year, while also highlighting the importance of reconciliation, cooperation, and diplomatic engagement in the country’s political landscape.