LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that scourge of extremism has severely affected Pakistan.

“Pakistan has sacrificed more than 40,000 lives in the war against terrorism and it is the need of the hour for the international community to realise the problems and challenges being faced by the country,” he added.

He was speaking to a member of the Scottish Parliament Hanzala Malik on Tuesday. Issues of mutual interest and bilateral relations came under discussion during the meeting.

Shahbaz Sharif said, “We will have to look for fundamental causes in order to uproot extremism”. He said factors like unemployment, economic deprivation and injustice compel the people towards extremism.

He said, unfortunately, despite playing a leading role in war against terrorism and rendering maximum sacrifices during the previous decade, the international community still makes unjust demands from Pakistan.

The chief minister said that his recent visit to Turkey, Germany and Britain remained successful as foreign investors have expressed interest for investment in Punjab after reviewing conducive atmosphere and facilities being provided to the investors by the provincial government.

He said, the government is taking all out steps for the progress and prosperity of the people, and development projects are being expeditiously completed throughout the province.