Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the National Defence University on Thursday drew a critical link between Pakistan’s economy and national security at the security workshop. He particularly indicated the adverse effects of recent political unrest and protests on the economic stability of the country, for instance, by the steep fall of the stock market.
Appraising the PM, he noted that the Pakistan Stock Exchange, for the first time in its history, scaled over the 100,000-point mark. “This is a collective achievement, the result of the hard work of the entire team,” he remarked.
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He lamented that protests had cost the achievement, such as when Islamabad was stormed. “Just two days ago, due to unrest, the stock exchange lost 4,000 points. But it has now recovered,” he said.
The PM also threatened intruders as well as outsiders who threatened to disrupt Pakistan, which involved being alert and standing united in the face of such challenges.
Shehbaz Sharif narrated how the country scraped through a possible default in June 2023, with the now 37-month deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) having worked to stabilize the economy. He assured that Pakistan would not ask for further IMF loans once this particular agreement comes to an end.
On security issues, the PM acknowledged the growing terrorism threat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and stood by the armed forces’ resolve to counter the threat. He added that Pakistan suffered losses amounting to $130 billion from its fight against terrorism but assured the country that progress would be continued without interruption.