Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday reiterated his government’s resolve to achieve economic prosperity through long-overdue structural reforms, institutional transformations, and a renewed focus on merit-based governance. Addressing a group of Pakistani students selected for the “Uraan Pakistan” government internship summer scholars program, who are pursuing education at leading global educational institutions, he stated, “The path is highly challenging as reforms were long overdue, and structural changes had not been implemented over the past many decades.”
The prime minister stressed that Pakistan must undertake these prolonged structural changes through tireless and sustained efforts.
Initially, he highlighted that when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) assumed governmental responsibility in 2023, Pakistan faced a severe threat of default and its destiny was uncertain. “The majority believed Pakistan would go into default while the minority thought we would escape this disaster,” he said, adding that he held extensive discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director and guaranteed that Pakistan would avoid default and secure the IMF program. The prime minister noted that during that period, the economy was in poor condition, with surging inflation reaching 38% and the policy rate hovering at 22.5%. The business atmosphere in the country was highly skeptical.
The premier, in his remarks, further stated that they bore a significant burden and responsibility to act in unison and work with sincerity of purpose to alter the situation. He also referenced the reforms and digitization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), stating that they had dismissed corrupt individuals without being influenced. He added that to eradicate corruption in the FBR, he was resolute in his decisions and acted without yielding to any culture of ‘Sifarish’ (favoritism), taking steps that had never been taken before.
The prime minister said that previously, the digitization process in the FBR was restricted solely to paperwork, as no practical steps were taken, and blamed corrupt and shrewd elements for deceiving the system. He maintained that this did not imply a lack of hard-working and honest bureaucrats who were denied opportunities, adding that they had brought forward the best individuals in the FBR, including its chairman, and hired expert consultants.
Now, he said digitization is the hallmark of the FBR, where operations have transitioned from paper-based methods to multiple initiatives, including AI and faceless interaction. Through the enforcement of these measures, revenue collection has increased from Rs12 billion to more than 50 billion rupees in one year, demonstrating massive tax evasion in that sector alone, he asserted.
“We have a long and arduous journey and are facing mountain-like impediments, but I assure you that we will not shy away from discharging our duties in the service of the nation.”
Responding to a student’s query, he mentioned that due to climate change, Pakistan suffered extensively during the 2022 floods, with the economy incurring $30 billion in losses, despite the fact that the country contributed only a fraction of a percent to global greenhouse effects.
Responding to another question, the prime minister said that during the month of May, Pakistan faced India’s uncalled aggression in the context of the Pahalgam incident. He noted that he had offered a straightforward proposal to India for the matter to be investigated by international bodies, but India never commented on this proposal.
As a result of Indian aggression, 55 Pakistanis were martyred, and Pakistan responded in self-defense by downing six Indian planes, he said, adding that on May 9 and 10, after India’s attack, Pakistan responded with full might and taught the enemy a lesson.
The prime minister commended the armed forces for displaying their professional capabilities and courage, stating that Pakistan won the conventional war. He maintained that Pakistan’s nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes and self-defense.
