ISLAMABAD, Aug 20: Prime Minister-designate Shaukat Aziz on Friday said that his government would announce a comprehensive development package in a couple of weeks aimed at accelerating economic activities and improving the living standard of people.

In an interview with APP after taking oath as member of the National Assembly, he said efforts would be made for ensuring good governance, improving the legal and police systems and provision of opportunities to people.

Mr Aziz said he had agreed to retain the NA-59 Attock seat in accordance with the decision of Pakistan Muslim League president and Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

He said that although the entire Pakistan was his constituency, he would take special measures for the development of NA-59 Attock and NA-229 Tharparkar and would remove the backwardness of these areas and bring them on a par with developed parts of the country.

He said a special meeting of the Thar Development Programme would be held on Monday which would discuss ways and means for the provision of employment opportunities and basic amenities to the people of Tharparkar.

Mr Aziz said he would not forget the people of NA-59 who had sacrificed for him during his election campaign and would take special measures for the development of Attock.

In reply to a question about the Islamabad-Delhi relations, he said Pakistan wanted peace with its neighbours, including India, on the basis of equality. He said the biggest hurdle in the normalization of relations with India was the Kashmir dispute. -APP

Opinion

Editorial

Doctor attacked
09 Jun, 2026

Doctor attacked

AN act of reprehensible violence has shaken the medical community. On Saturday, an employee of the Provincial Civil...
AJK flare-up
Updated 09 Jun, 2026

AJK flare-up

The situation started deteriorating after a trader affiliated with the JAAC was reportedly shot in an altercation with law-enforcers.
Fault lines
09 Jun, 2026

Fault lines

THE April 8 ceasefire that halted hostilities between Israel and Iran has encountered its most serious test yet....
Soft on traders
08 Jun, 2026

Soft on traders

THE Fixed Tax Asaan Scheme for traders with an annual turnover of up to Rs200m has been designed as a ‘pragmatic...
Ceasefire in name
Updated 08 Jun, 2026

Ceasefire in name

Both sides accuse the other of violating the truce that was supposed to halt the conflict in April, yet neither appears willing to abandon negotiations altogether.
Damaged childhoods
08 Jun, 2026

Damaged childhoods

CHILD abuse is so prevalent that the UN ranked Pakistan as the least safe country for children. Even so, more than...