PM meets Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani.
ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif once again invited the opposition to negotiations on Thursday.
While chairing the federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, he emphasised the need to resolve issues through dialogue to promote economic development and strengthen democracy.
He said the government has consistently expressed its readiness for constructive dialogue with the opposition. He said it is now up to the opposition to decide when it is ready to come to the negotiating table.
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over increase in IT exports, saying these rose by eighteen percent in the month of July. He said the government is making efforts to introduce digital technology across all sectors and emphasized the need to fully digitize the governance system.
Shehbaz Sharif appreciated Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and his team for introducing a fixed tax scheme for retailers. He said he has directed the FBR that there should be no harassment of retailers. The prime minister commended the Minister for Petroleum and his team for reduction in the price of diesel by thirty-two rupees per liter, describing it as a welcome development.
Referring to the situation in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, the Prime Minister said Pakistan is consistently pursuing efforts for reduction in tensions and improvement of the situation in the region. He said the government has taken steps over the last two and a half years to bring improvement in the economy. He said normalization of the situation in the region is also important for our economy.
The Federal Cabinet, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, accorded in-principle approval to the National Adolescent and Youth Policy.
The policy is a significant step forward towards creating a coherent national framework for the empowerment of Pakistan’s youth.
The four key pillars of the national policy framework are education, employment, inclusiveness and environment.
For the implementation of the policy, the Pakistan Youth Development Council and the Federal Adolescent and Youth Agency are being established.
The Prime Minister directed that the proposals put forward by the Cabinet members regarding the policy be incorporated.
Also, the federal cabinet approved in principle the National Adolescent and Youth Policy, which Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif termed a significant step toward empowering the country’s youth.
The cabinet meeting, presided over by the prime minister here, approved the policy on the recommendation of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, describing it as a major development towards creating an integrated national framework for the country’s young population, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said.
The meeting was informed that the policy aims to mainstream youth at the government level, ensuring equitable and improved economic and social opportunities for young people. The framework rests on four core pillars: education, employment, inclusion and environment.
To implement the policy, the government is establishing the Pakistan Youth Development Council and the Federal Adolescent and Youth Agency.
The cabinet was told that the policy was formulated after conducting 32,145 surveys nationwide, incorporating the opinions of more than 200,000 young people across the country.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed that suggestions put forward by cabinet members during the meeting be incorporated into the policy before its final adoption.
The cabinet also ratified decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises at its meeting held on July 9, 2026.
Similarly, the cabinet endorsed decisions made by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) during its meeting on August 14, 2026.
The cabinet further ratified decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases at its meetings held on June 18, July 30, August 5, and August 18, 2026.
PM Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday while recalling the historic and multifaceted Pakistan-Syria ties, emphasized the need to translate the longstanding Pakistan-Syria friendship into enhanced cooperation across politics, defence, trade, investment, education, and human resource development.
The prime minister made these remarks during a call on him by Foreign Minister of the Syrian Arab Republic, Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani here, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said.
Welcoming Al-Shaibani and his delegation, the prime minister conveyed his best wishes for President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and recalled his recent interactions with him. He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria.
He stated that the resumption of direct flights between the two countries would enhance people-to-people exchanges and facilitate a large number of pilgrims who undertake religious visits to Syria from Pakistan. The prime minister also extended an invitation to President Ahmed al-Sharaa to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at a mutually convenient date.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, SAPM Syed Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Amb. Amna Baloch were also present during the meeting.
Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif described the launch of the digital Proof of Life Certificate system for pensioners as a major step towards facilitating millions of pensioners across the country, particularly elderly and physically challenged citizens.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the Proof of Life Certificate facility for pensioners, the prime minister said the initiative would benefit both civilian and military pensioners, including senior citizens, women and persons with disabilities.
He said the introduction of the system was a matter of great happiness for him as it represented an important service to pensioners and a significant step towards making their lives easier.
The prime minister said facilitating elderly citizens and serving persons with disabilities was not merely a routine administrative measure but a great service to humanity.
He appreciated the federal ministers, officials and institutions that had worked on the initiative and congratulated them for undertaking the task of introducing the modern system.
