ISLAMABAD, MAR 30: President Asif Ali Zardari has directed the state institutions to adopt coordinated measures to ease the burden of rising energy and essential goods costs on economically vulnerable citizens amid supply pressures due to Middle East tensions.
The president chaired an expanded consultative meeting at Aiwan-e-Sadr in which Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and leadership of provinces as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) also participated.
The meeting was briefed on the steps being taken by governments of the four provinces, as well as of Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, to manage price pressures, ensure availability of essential supplies and mitigate impact on public, enabling a coordinated national response, President Secretariat Media Wing said in a statement.
The meeting also reviewed the broader regional situation and its potential effects on Pakistan’s security environment, economic outlook and food security.
The participants were assured that, despite the global crisis, timely decisions have ensured no disruption to fuel supply, and that adequate fuel stocks are currently available to meet the country’s needs, with arrangements for the future also underway.
It was informed that proposals to increase oil prices had repeatedly been rejected by the prime minister, and that funds saved through austerity measures were being channelled towards public relief.
It was noted that the spirit of austerity had begun with the government cutting down its own expenditure, including cuts to the development budget and the immediate grounding of 60% of official vehicles.
President Zardari reiterated that the economically vulnerable people would not be left alone in this difficult time.
He directed that coordinated decision-making should be done, with alignment between economic management, energy planning, food security measures and security preparedness.
The president also asked for the need for public awareness efforts, focusing on reducing fuel consumption, encouraging the use of public transportation and promoting shared mobility practices as part of a broader demand management approach.
Other participants of the meeting included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar; Defence Minister Khawaja Asif; Interior Minister Senator Mohsin Naqvi; National Security Advisor Lt Gen Asim Malik; PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari; Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb; Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik; other ministers, and senior officers of concerned ministries and divisions.
This meeting followed a high-level consultative meeting chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr last week, which was also attended by Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and federal ministers.
Top civil-military leadership endorsed a unified policy approach through consensus and institutional coordination to protect Pakistan’s security, economy and food supply.
It was agreed that economic management, energy planning, food security and broader security considerations must remain closely aligned to meet this challenging situation.
On the diplomatic front, Pakistan has stepped up efforts to help reduce tensions in the region through broader engagement.
A day ago, Islamabad hosted a quadrilateral conference, bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt to explore ways to de-escalate the Iran conflict.
Sunday talks were attended by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, as Pakistan stepped up diplomatic efforts to help ease tensions in the Middle East.
These efforts come amid attempts to create space for negotiations to end the more than month-long war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which began on February 28 and has had far-reaching implications across the region.
The conflict has also triggered significant economic repercussions, with disruptions to oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz exerting pressure on global markets.
