US-Iran war created significant hurdles for regional economies: Pakistan PM

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that the US-Iran war has created significant hurdles for regional economies, including Pakistan, as he urged people to make concerted efforts to transform the country into an economic power.

PM Shehbaz made the comments in his televised opening remarks at the federal cabinet meeting, where he also talked about May 28, 1998, when Pakistan carried out nuclear tests.

Referring to the US-Iran conflict, he said that while a temporary ceasefire was currently in place, the war had created significant hurdles for regional economies, including Pakistan.

He said that the government’s economic team had made collective efforts over the past two years. “This is a long and difficult journey. However, nations that commit to facing and overcoming their challenges are the ones that ultimately meet with success,” he said. He said that just as Pakistan had become a nuclear power, “we have to turn it into an economic power with the same commitment and hard work”.

Shehbaz also said that Pakistan gained a power that would remain a “defensive asset” of the country.

“It is our national narrative that this asset is for defence, not offence. And this is the reason that the world knows Pakistan as a responsible nuclear power,” he said.

The premier also paid tribute to those who contributed to efforts for making Pakistan a nuclear power, particularly mentioning late prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and former prime minister and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif.

Shehbaz also spoke about the four-day conflict with India in May last year and said Pakistan’s armed forces fought bravely and courageously.