Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif stated on Tuesday that Pakistan is open to dialogue with India provided that nation is prepared to bring up “serious issues at the table.”
Shehbaz willing to talk if ‘neighbour’ is serious: The prime minister said this in an address to the Pakistan Mineral Summit in Islamabad.
“We have nothing against anyone, but we must take care of ourselves first and develop our country.
“Even with our neighbour, we are willing to talk as long as they are serious about doing so.
“War is not an option anymore. Pakistan is a nuclear power; these capabilities are used for defence rather than as an aggressor.
“In the past 75 years, we have fought three wars, which has increased poverty, unemployment, and resource scarcity.
“God forbid, who will survive to describe what happens if there is a nuclear flashpoint?
“This is not a viable choice.
However, PM Shehbaz also stressed that our neighbor must recognize that we cannot return to normal unless we remove anomalies and address severe problems through genuine and respectful dialogue.
The premier claimed that Pakistan had not reaped the benefits despite having $6 trillion worth of mineral reserves.
We are the only ones to blame, he remarked. He claimed that although the tale of Pakistan’s struggle is heartbreaking, if we put the summit’s words and presentations into practise in letter and spirit, “we can regain our former glory.”
Further, He declared that Pakistan needed “a serious surgical operation” to free itself from Indian control and servitude.
He claimed that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have close ties and have supported one another during good times and bad.
“Pakistan Minerals Summit: Harnessing Investment Opportunities for Development”
According to PM Shehbaz, Saudi Arabia’s $2 billion investment was essential for Pakistan’s existence.
Dr. Musadik Malik, the Minister of State for Petroleum, welcomed international investors to invest in various areas, particularly the mining and minerals sector, in his speech.
According to estimates, Pakistan has a $6 trillion mineral reserve.
According to the minister, the combined value of technical behemoths like Apple, Google, and Amazon is $6 trillion.
“Over the next few years, we intend to increase our exports from roughly $1 billion to over $5 billion. We intend to increase the number of jobs in the mining and mineral sector from 300,000 to 600,000,” he declared.
Additionally, mining requires a lot of labour, which is what we need, he continued.
“We are going to pursue value-added activities, and we are going to increase the sector share into GDP from 1% to 3%,” he stated.
According to Malik, the government wants to harmonise, deregulate, and create industrial clusters.
According to him, the summit’s goal is to boost foreign direct investment and help the nation transition from “Dust to Development.”
The government has organized the “Pakistan Minerals Summit” to examine and capitalize on the enormous potential of the nation’s mining and mineral industries.
PM Sharif, Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, the CEOs of various international and domestic enterprises involved in the mining and mineral industry, diplomats, and other high-level officials are attending the opening session.
International investors, titans of the mining sector, business executives, and government representatives have gathered for the summit, with the subject “Dust to Development: Investment Opportunities in Pakistan,” to develop a strategy for utilizing the vast mineral resources of the nation.