ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said here on Friday that his government would be above politics while dealing with issues of national importance, including economy and security.

Addressing the “Vision 2025 — Stakeholders Conference”, he said: ”Our vision aims at building a strong, enlightened, prosperous and peaceful Pakistan which ensures a sustained improvement in the quality of life of all its citizens.”

The country, he said, needed unanimity at all levels, including civil society and state institutions, and consensus on national priorities, needs and goals. “Although Pakistan has seen improvement in many areas over the years, there is still a long way to go.”

The prime minister stressed the need for urgently handling the issue of poverty and said that while poverty was on the decline in the world it was increasing in Pakistan.

He said the federal government wanted to see harmony among provinces and was against interfering in their affairs.

He said security concerns needed to be addressed to help attract foreign investment, adding that during his visit to Beijing the Chinese had expressed their concern over the security situation in Pakistan, especially after the terrorist attack on tourists at Nanga Parbat. “There is a need to counter security threats in order to restore peace in the country.”

The prime minister said it was his sincere desire that cases relating to acts of terrorism should be decided within two weeks and there should be no bail for those involved in heinous crimes. He regretted that court cases lingered on for decades which denied justice to the masses.

He said he wanted to make Pakistan a citadel of peace where people felt secure, with no threat to life and property and the menaces of terrorism and kidnapping for ransom eradicated.

SECTARIANISM: The prime minister regretted misuse of loudspeakers at places of worship and said it fanned sectarianism, extremism and terrorism. “This misuse must be stopped and enforced strictly to stop any hate speech,” he said, adding that the provincial governments should take strict measures and, if needed, undertake necessary legislation. The situation will improve significantly if the provinces awarded exemplary punishment to elements responsible for fanning sectarianism, he added.

Mr Sharif said that overcoming sectarianism and countering terrorism was necessary because the country’s very existence depended on it. Pakistan, he said, was currently at the lowest tier in terms of security and needed extraordinary measures to restore peace.

LOADSHEDDING: The prime minister said measures were being taken to end loadshedding for good. Major projects in the power sector will generate additional 17,000MW to meet the country’s industrial and domestic needs. Work on Diamer-Bhasha and Bunji dams will be taken up by the government. The prime minister said he would perform the groundbreaking of a civil nuclear power plant in Karachi next week.

The plant is being set up with the Chinese assistance.

He referred to the presence of the four chief ministers at the conference and said that for him Pervez Khattak was as important as Shahbaz Sharif because he sincerely wanted the system to work. About the Charter of Democracy he had signed with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, he said he remained committed to it. For him, he said, the interests of the country were always supreme. When he was in the opposition, he said, he had served the nation to the best of his ability and never played the role of a friendly opposition.

Over 1,000 professionals and experts from public and private sectors, business community, politicians, members of civil society, academia and media attended the conference convened to address the economic challenges.