Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has said that the government controlled the challenges in a better way in the last year 2024, the government is trying to fulfill its promises made to the nation.
Briefing the media in the federal capital, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that 2024 was of exceptional importance for us, elections were held in the country in the same year, in which the people gave a mandate to the PML-N. We hope that the new year 2025 will also prove to be the best for Pakistan.
Reduction in inflation and interest rates
Ishaq Dar said that last year the government tried to control all the challenges in a good way and achieved success. We faced many challenges during this time. On the one hand, it was being said that Pakistan has become isolated on the diplomatic level, while we made reducing inflation a priority as soon as we assumed power and gradually reduced it, as a result of which the rate of increase in inflation has now come down to less than 5 percent.
He said that when we took over the reins of the government, the interest rate in the country was at 22 percent, which has now come down to 13 percent. We are constantly trying to fulfill the promises we made to the nation. The country’s economy is moving towards further improvement. Just two days ago, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Udan Pakistan program for the country’s economic development.
The Foreign Minister said that the Foreign Office spokesperson has been changed and Shafqat Khan has been appointed, while Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has been appointed ambassador to France as a result of consultation with the Prime Minister.
A blunt stance on Islamophobia
He added that Pakistan’s stance regarding Islamophobia in the world is blunt and clear. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also openly raised his voice on Palestine, especially Gaza and occupied Kashmir, at every international forum, while the meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir Contact Group of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was also made possible.
He said that the way Pakistan has raised its voice on the issue of Gaza, hardly any other country has raised its voice against Israeli aggression. He said that the decision of the International Court of Justice regarding Palestine should be implemented.
Relief in electricity bills
The Deputy Prime Minister told the media briefing that there was a lot of burden on the people regarding electricity bills, which had several reasons. The value of the rupee decreased in the last few years, after which the currency has now started to stabilize. Our exports are increasing, while figures of improvement and development have started coming in many other sectors including IT.
Ishaq Dar said that the Prime Minister had introduced a scheme to facilitate electricity consumers using 200 units, after which a subsidy of 200 to 500 units was announced in Punjab. The government has played a role at all levels in providing relief to the public regarding electricity bills.
