Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed all federal ministries to ensure meaningful consultation with domain experts before integrating modern technologies into any sector of the economy, signalling a more measured and deliberate approach to technology adoption across the government’s ongoing reform agenda. The directive was issued during a high-level review meeting chaired by the prime minister and attended by a broad cross-section of the federal cabinet and senior officials.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Economic Affairs Minister Ahsan Iqbal Cheema, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik, Power Minister Awais Leghari, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar, and Strategic Investment Facilitation Council Director General Major General Asad Rehman Cheema, along with senior officials from relevant institutions. Relevant ministries briefed participants on various policy proposals currently under consideration, covering industrial, energy, and transport-related matters.
The prime minister said that promotion of industry and skilled trades, along with enhanced foreign investment, was indispensable for economic progress, stressing that long-term economic policies must remain focused on public welfare and national prosperity. He said effective policy interventions to increase domestic production and expand exports were among the government’s key priorities, adding that industrial products must contribute to both higher local manufacturing and greater export volumes. The prime minister also stressed the importance of inter-ministerial coordination, transparency in governance, and optimum performance across all reform initiatives currently underway.
On energy and transport, the prime minister said a comprehensive electric vehicles policy was the need of the hour to promote energy conservation and provide affordable transport solutions. He also highlighted the government’s efforts to formulate a strategy for meeting future energy requirements through alternative and renewable sources. The session reflected the federal government’s intent to synchronise technology integration with sector-specific expertise, avoiding fragmented or rushed adoption that could undermine the effectiveness of reforms across industries ranging from manufacturing and energy to transport and agriculture.
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