Shehbaz takes the helm with G20 dreams

New PM shoots for G20 membership by 2030; vows to make nation 'self-sufficient'

ISLAMABAD:

 

In a not-so-shocking spectacle on Sunday, Shehbaz Sharif took the reins as the 24th Prime Minister of Pakistan and wasted no time in diving into the nation's ongoing challenges while setting his sights on the lofty goal of steering the country into the elite G20 club by 2030.

The new captain of the ship sailed smoothly to victory – returning to the throne after a brief hiatus since August 2023 – leaving his opponent Omar Ayub securing a mere 92 votes, precisely 24 days after the country's 'controversial general elections.'

The magic number to seize the prime ministerial office was 169 votes.

The inauguration ceremony for the newly elected premier is scheduled to take place today at the President House. All the necessary arrangements for the swearing-in have been finalised, and invitations have been dispatched.

The event is set to take place at Aiwan-e-Sadr at 3:00 p.m. where President Dr Arif Alvi will administer the oath to Shehbaz.

Sources from the President House confirmed that invitations have been distributed for the upcoming event. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be attended by prominent figures, including the army chief, caretaker prime minister, Senate chairman, National Assembly Speaker and governors as well as chief ministers of all four provinces.

Shehbaz, the PML-N president and the newly-stitched coalition’s candidate for prime minister, has returned to the role he held till August 2023, when the National Assembly completed a five-year term for the third consecutive time in over seven-decade-old political history of the country.

Amid rigging allegations and in the face of massive economic challenges, the newly-elected premier vowed to steer the country out of crisis and set the goal for his government to make Pakistan a member of G20 countries by 2030.

The G20, formed in 1999, is a group of 20 of many of the world’s largest economies that meets regularly to coordinate global policy on trade, health, climate, and other issues. It consists of 19 countries as well as the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU).

The countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In his maiden address, Shehbaz acknowledged the alarming debt crisis and promised to make Pakistan "self-sufficient." He spoke of necessary surgery on the system, embracing basic reforms to cut the chains of debt enslavement.

"We will rise, and we will make Pakistan self-sufficient," he proclaimed.

Referring to the economy, Shehbaz said that the incoming government would bring investment into the country and create economic conditions to spur growth, emphasising that “one window” export zones will be established in all provinces.Hitting at his opponents, Shehbaz while recalling that PML-N was thrown out thrice said his party could never even think of bringing any harm to the country, unlike his opponents, saying they put the entire opposition behind bars and used language that cannot be uttered out loud.

Claiming that his party and leadership never thought of the politics of revenge, Shehbaz recalled that the country saw a day when GHQ, corps commander houses, and airfields were attacked on May 9, saying such events were unforgettable.

Shehbaz left nothing to the imagination when he said that the perpetrators of the May 9 riots would not be forgiven as action against all those who were involved in the attack on state installations would be taken.

Meanwhile, he promised that his government would put an end to terrorism and its roots once and for all, revealing his aim was to take the National Action Plan forward.

He maintained that the people of Pakistan were suffering the burden of sky-high electricity and gas prices, emphasising that the “electricity and tax thefts are a matter of life and death for Pakistan. “It is difficult and a long and thorny journey full of hurdles, but countries that surmounted these challenges became one of the most prosperous nations around the world,” he said.

Shehbaz said that he would bring a technological model to reduce tax theft, which he maintained, would “reduce inflation, increase employment, the country will grow”. He also promised subsidies for farmers and said a package on solar tube wells would be soon announced.

He promised that the “seed mafia” would soon be eliminated and Pakistan would import seeds from the best countries in the world to provide them to farmers. He added that the federal government would work with all provinces in the agriculture sector.

Shehbaz also said efficient public transport and state-of-the-art hospitals and medical facilities will be provided to the people. Referring to the justice system, he said the government would work on introducing a system through which the people will get swift justice, announcing that the women and children, who are currently serving sentences that are less than two years, will be freed.

He also called out the international community for its deafening silence and inaction on the situation in Gaza and held Kashmir. While urging all to come together, he called upon passing a resolution for the freedom of Kashmiris and Palestinians. He further said that the issue of the missing persons should end now as peace cannot be established in Balochistan without solving it.