Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called on President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the overall national security situation and key challenges facing the country, according to the President’s Secretariat.
The meeting comes a day after the quadrilateral ministerial moot in Islamabad, involving the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, discussing possible ways to bring an “early and permanent end” to the war in the region. The foregin ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkiye had also called on PM Shehbaz after the meeting concluded.
According to President’s Secretariat, the meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. National Security Adviser and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General (DG) Asim Malik also participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, participants held a detailed discussion on the overall national security situation, reviewed the evolving regional scenario and its implications for Pakistan, the secretariat said.
They further deliberated on economic, energy and security challenges, it added. It stated that the leadership also “emphasised the need for a coordinated national strategy and institutional harmony”.
Last week, President Zardari had also chaired a high-level meeting with PM Shehbaz, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and other ministers.
The meeting had reviewed the economic, energy and regional situation amid oil and gas supply concerns, focusing on coordination, austerity, fuel conservation and public relief.
President chairs consultative meeting
Later in the day, President Zardari also chaired an “expanded consultative meeting” at Aiwan-i-Sadr with PM Shehbaz and the leadership of all provinces, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in attendance, a statement by the President’s Secretariat said.
It said ISI DG Malik, Dar, Bilawal and Naqvi, as well as several other federal ministers, also attended the meeting, among others.
President Zardari directed during the meeting that, keeping in view the “oil and gas supply pressures, escalating energy costs, and the evolving regional environment, all possible measures should be taken to ease the burden of rising prices on the common man, especially for essential goods and services”, the statement said.
It added that the meeting was briefed on the steps being taken by governments of the four provinces, as well as that of GB and AJK, to “manage price pressures, ensure the availability of essential supplies and mitigate the impact on the public, enabling a coordinated national response”.
The meeting also reviewed the broader regional situation and its potential effects on Pakistan’s security environment, economic outlook and food security, it said.
“The meeting was assured that despite the global crisis, timely decisions have ensured no disruption to fuel supply, and that adequate fuel stocks are currently available to meet the country’s needs, with arrangements for the future also underway,” it added.
DPM Dar informed the meeting about the government’s “proactive diplomatic outreach, including his recent engagements with the leadership of Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as well as leaders of countries involved in the conflict. He also briefed the meeting on his upcoming visit to Beijing”, the statement said.
It said the meeting was informed that proposals to increase oil prices had repeatedly been rejected by the prime minister, and that funds saved through austerity measures were being channelled towards public relief.
“It was noted that the spirit of austerity had begun with the government cutting down its own expenditure, including cuts to the development budget and the immediate grounding of 60 per cent of official vehicles,” the statement said.
It further stated that the president reiterated that the “economically vulnerable people would not be left alone in this difficult time”.
He directed “coordinated decision-making”, with alignment between economic management, energy planning, food security measures and security preparedness.
“The president also asked for the need for public awareness efforts, focusing on reducing fuel consumption, encouraging the use of public transportation and promoting shared mobility practices as part of a broader demand management approach,” the statement said.