Peaceful, prosperous Pakistan in interest of entire region: Fawad

A media delegation from the United Arab Emirates called on the information minister.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry Monday said Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) shared a unique relationship premised on historical, cultural and economic ties, underpinned by mutual trust and respect.

Pakistan highly valued its friendship and fraternal relations with the brotherly country and held President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed in high esteem, he said while talking to a UAE media delegation.

The minister said Pakistan would like to further enhance co-operation and collaboration between the two countries in areas mutually beneficial to their people.

Forging cordial relations with the Government of UAE was the top priority as the UAE had always been at the forefront in delivering humanitarian relief and assistance to Pakistan in times of need, he added.

Highlighting the priorities of his government, Fawad said Prime Minister Imran Khan had constituted 15 task forces to deal with multiple challenges and the issue of environment had been placed on top of its agenda in line with the manifesto of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The prime minister had formed a team of capable persons with requisite expertise in the relevant fields with a view to devise and implement a comprehensive strategy to take the country out of myriads of issues and challenges, including energy, environment and economy, he added.

The minister reiterated that Pakistanis were a resilient nation and would surmount all the challenges through impregnated unity and collective will.

He informed the delegation that the government was seriously contemplating to introduce some robust reforms in the local government system as it believed that transfer of power at the grassroots level and people’s easy excess to their representatives concerned would not only empower them but would also help them in the resolution of their basic issues.

Responding to a question about Pak-India relations, he said the prime minister had already stated that “if India moved one step for peace, we shall take two steps ahead”. In modern times, the focus was on regional peace and development and not on a single country, therefore, peaceful and prosperous Pakistan was in the interest of the entire region, he added.

Responding to another query, he said Pakistan enjoyed warm relations with all the brethren Muslim countries of the Gulf region.