Gul Asghar appreciates economic, security teams for maintaining economic stability

ISLAMABAD, Jun 18 (APP):Parliamentary Secretary for Communications, Engineer Gul Asghar Khan on Thursday appreciated the efforts of the government’s economic and security teams for maintaining economic stability.

Participating in the budget debate in the National Assembly (NA), he said the federal budget 2026-27 had been presented in a challenging regional and global environment. He also commended the efforts of the government’s economic and security teams for maintaining stability.

He said the government’s economic team, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), and the leadership of national institutions, particularly Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, deserved appreciation for steering the country through a difficult global environment marked by economic pressures.

Gul Asghar Khan said the budget had been prepared with the objective of avoiding major new taxes while providing relief to low-income groups.

He noted that the real estate sector played a vital role in Pakistan’s economy, with more than 40 allied industries linked to it. He added that tax reductions in the sector would boost construction activity, generate employment opportunities, and stimulate growth due to its labour-intensive nature.

He further said that industries such as cement, steel, timber, and tiles would also benefit from increased activity, while export-oriented sectors had been facilitated and the reduction in super tax would help further stimulate industrial growth and competitiveness.

Responding to concerns raised by lawmakers regarding funding for the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6), the Parliamentary Secretary for Communications said the government had allocated Rs 376 billion for infrastructure development in the upcoming fiscal year and remained fully committed to completing the strategically important project.

He said the M-6 Motorway was the only missing link connecting Peshawar with Karachi and should be viewed as a national project rather than one serving a single province. He added that successive governments had failed to complete the motorway over the past three decades despite its importance for trade, connectivity, and economic growth.

He said the project was being structured with financial participation from international institutions to ensure its timely completion.

The parliamentary secretary urged opposition parties to play a constructive role by offering policy suggestions instead of limiting themselves to criticism. He stressed that economic progress was not possible without reforms in energy, infrastructure, education, and state-owned enterprises.

Referring to international examples, he said countries such as China and Japan achieved economic success through institutional reforms, task forces, and long-term planning.

He also called for agricultural reforms, value addition, branding of organic products, and improved market access for farmers, particularly in underdeveloped regions, to enhance income and reduce middleman exploitation.