ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that just as Pakistan had emerged as a nuclear power, efforts were now required to transform it into an economic power.
He expressed these views while addressing a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, where he also referred to May 28.
He noted that on May 28, 1998, Pakistan became a nuclear power after conducting atomic tests in the hills of Chagai, Balochistan.
In his address, the prime minister said that on that day Pakistan acquired a power which would remain a “defensive asset” of the country.
“It is our national narrative that this asset is for defence, not offence. And this is the reason that the world knows Pakistan as a responsible nuclear power,” he said.
PM Shehbaz paid tribute to those he described as “heroes” who contributed to making Pakistan a nuclear power, especially mentioning late prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.
“The founder of this initiative was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and my leader Nawaz Sharif saw it to completion,” he said.
He further stated that just as Pakistan became a nuclear power, it must now be turned into an economic power with the same level of commitment and hard work.
Addressing cabinet members, he said, “You, as a team, have made several efforts for it over the past two years, and gradually, we have seen [some] results. But this is a very long and difficult journey.”
He added that when nations remain resolute in facing difficulties and overcoming challenges, “God blesses them with success”.
The prime minister also referred to the Middle East conflict, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, noting that it had disrupted regional stability. The conflict also affected traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply used to pass during peacetime.
He said the situation in the Middle East had created economic difficulties for several countries, including Pakistan, but praised the cabinet for facing those challenges collectively.
At the outset of his speech, PM Shehbaz also mentioned Marka-i-Haq, a brief military conflict between India and Pakistan in May last year.
He said Pakistan emerged victorious in that conflict as the nation stood united, while the armed forces displayed bravery and professionalism.
He also spoke about sacrifices being made in the fight against terrorism, highlighting the example of Muhammad Liaqat, a railway employee who thwarted a suicide attack in Attock.
“They are heroes of the nation. The sacrifices being made in the fight against terrorism are unparalleled,” he said.