Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the ceremony at the Pakistan Stock Exchange by ringing the gong, marking his first visit to the country’s financial hub’s premier exchange.
Addressing attendees, he emphasised that successes are the result of teamwork, stability, and growth for Pakistan’s economic future.
The PM highlighted that Pakistan has achieved macroeconomic stability, which now needs to be converted into sustainable economic growth. “Stability is a milestone, but our real goal is economic growth,” he remarked, adding that Pakistan's economy had stood back on its feet.
"We now have to move towards economic growth, which requires the best teamwork and hard work."
He announced that the recently launched Uran Pakistan Program was aimed at fostering economic development and social prosperity. “The program will lead us on a journey of progress and prosperity, combining Pakistan’s talent, natural resources, and hard work,” he said.
Shehbaz further remarked that things will heat up as the country moves towards growth. "We will have to manage these things," he added.
Praising Karachi as the commercial, financial, and export hub of Pakistan, PM Shehbaz noted the city’s resurgence as a beacon of economic activity. “Once upon a time, the lights of Karachi were dimmed, but now they shine brightly again,” he said, reiterating Karachi's critical role in the nation’s economic revival.
"I will invite experts soon and listen to their sweet, sour, and bitter things. Those who say everything is fine live in a fool's paradise," the PM maintained.
Addressing Pakistan’s financial challenges, PM Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fulfilling promises made to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, he expressed his aspiration to reduce reliance on the IMF in the future. “We will bid farewell to the IMF when the time comes,” he stated.
He questioned how it was possible to have a begging bowl in one hand and atomic power in the other. "Can fire and water ever become one?" he asked.
Drawing parallels with nations like Germany and Japan, which rose from the ashes of World War II to achieve remarkable progress, PM Shehbaz Sharif underscored the importance of learning from history. “Pakistan must restore its honour among the nations of the world,” he urged.
"We have inexhaustible treasures and human brain. Pakistan will survive until the end of time, so it has to be strengthened," Shehbaz insisted.
The PM called for collective effort and realistic planning to achieve economic growth, emphasizing the need to confront both strengths and weaknesses with honesty. “Facts, good or bad, must be acknowledged if we are to move forward,” he said, adding that there were natural resources worth trillions of dollars.
Investors, he added, are pivotal to Pakistan’s development and must be supported through policy consistency and teamwork. “We have inexhaustible treasures and brilliant human minds, and together we will ensure that Pakistan thrives till the end of time,” he concluded.
