LONDON (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has hailed the role of overseas Pakistanis as the backbone of the nation’s economy, describing their contributions as “invaluable”.
Addressing a convention in London, he paid tribute to expatriates for sending home record remittances worth $48.5 billion this year, calling them ambassadors of Pakistan whose hard work strengthens the country’s image worldwide.
The prime minister expressed his happiness at standing before the diaspora and praised the British Pakistani community for its services. He said overseas Pakistanis’ efforts in supporting the economy could not be measured even if weighed against gold and jewels.
Turning to regional issues, Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s position that relations with India cannot move forward without resolving the Kashmir dispute. He said Pakistan seeks peace and dialogue on an equal footing, stressing that both countries, as neighbours, must live together. The prime minister warned that anyone thinking ties could be normalised without Kashmir was “living in a fool’s paradise.”
Recalling recent hostilities, he said that after Pakistan was wrongly blamed for the Pahalgam incident, he had proposed an international committee for transparent investigation. India, he noted, rejected the proposal and instead launched attacks inside Pakistan on 6 May 2025, targeting civilians and mosques. In response, Pakistan’s armed forces retaliated, downing six Indian fighter jets in what became known as Marka-e-Haq.
Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the nation on the “great victory” of 10th May 2025, crediting the unity of civil and military leadership and the skill of Pakistan Air Force pilots under Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu. He recalled the role of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in leading the response, saying the lesson taught to the enemy would “never be forgotten.”
The prime minister also highlighted global issues, condemning Israeli actions in Gaza where over 64,000 Palestinians have been killed. He urged the Muslim world to act for peace in the Middle East.
Shehbaz Sharif underlined his government’s vision to transform Pakistan into a resilient, debt-free economy through sustainable growth. He stressed the need for youth to be trained in modern education, IT, and Artificial Intelligence to compete globally, reminding that Pakistan’s founding fathers envisioned a dignified and respected role for the country on the world stage.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, speaking at the same event, recalled that in 2022 Pakistan was close to default, but economic reforms had since stabilised the situation. He said inflation had fallen from 38% to 5%, with defence, economic, and diplomatic fronts progressing under national consensus.
Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif described remittances as Pakistan’s “lifeline” and termed the Marka-e-Haq victory as unprecedented in the country’s military history.
Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain called the diaspora one of Pakistan’s greatest assets, crediting them with enhancing Pakistan’s global standing, particularly after the defence agreement with Saudi Arabia.