PM asks PTI to come to its senses, as long march to damage economy, country’s int’l standing

ISLAMABAD, Oct 6 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to abandon its agitational politics and cancel its long march, conditioning dialogue on the cessation of protest, saying that agitation would inflict heavy damage to national economic growth and the country’s international standing.

“I still ask them to come to their senses. End your long marches and sit-ins. Once you end them, we will certainly sit down with you and talk so that Pakistan moves forward with mutual hard work, honesty, and integrity. This is the desire of the nation, the voice of every Pakistani,” the prime minister said, addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of Kashmir Chowk Underpass being constructed to ease the traffic flow between Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Chairman of Capital Development Authority Sohail Ashraf attended the ceremony, along with parliamentarians and notables from different walks of life.

As per the briefing, the PC-1 cost of the project was Rs1.6 billion, but the contract was awarded at Rs1.4 billion, which would feature four slip roads. The intersection currently handles 107,000 vehicles and faces congestion during peak hours, particularly during VIP movement.

The prime minister told the gathering that the PTI had again resorted to the politics of sit-ins and long marches despite the government’s sincere efforts to engage in meaningful negotiations.

He said that a joint committee comprising representatives from the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party had held talks with the opposition, but the process stalled after the PTI demanded last-minute changes to the finalized draft, indicating that their sole objective was to sabotage the dialogue.

“As a result of the politics of sit-ins and long marches, the primary target will be your economy. There will be disruptions in your exports, your manufacturing, and your imports. If your laborer or your engineer fails to reach the factory, the manufacturing site, or their office on time, whose loss is it? It is the loss of this nation, the loss of this country,” the prime minister said.

He said that the government had successfully restored macroeconomic stability and was striving for growth through collective teamwork, with positive indicators reflected in rising exports, remittances, and industrial production. He cautioned that undermining these hard-won achievements would amount to hostility toward the state.

“We will not allow this to happen. The law will take its course. Protecting the lives and property of the people is our responsibility, and we will ensure this by all means,” he resolved.

He appreciated Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his team for setting the target to complete the Kashmir Chowk project within a month.

He said that as the intersection was known as Kashmir Chowk, the milestone would one day reach Srinagar when the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) achieve their inalienable right to freedom.

In his address, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that the project was part of the prime minister’s vision to transform and beautify Islamabad ahead of the SCO Heads of State Summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad next year.

He noted that upon the completion of the Kashmir Chowk and Expressway service road projects, the travel time between the twin cities would be slashed from the current 30 minutes down to just 16 to 18 minutes.

The minister said that Minister of State Talal Chaudhry was personally overseeing two key initiatives: making Islamabad entirely plastic-free and transitioning the capital into a cashless city, with both projects targeted for completion by the end of the year.

Highlighting environmental and recreational developments, Naqvi mentioned that F-9 Park was being upgraded along the lines of London’s Hyde Park. Additionally, a safari park—projected to be Asia’s largest—along with another park matching the size of F-9, would be developed.

“By the time we leave office, we will make Islamabad three times greener than it was,” he resolved, also announcing that the complete digitalization of land records would be finalized by the end of this year.

Contrasting this development with PTI’s politics of long march, Naqvi urged the public to evaluate whether their elected representatives were working tirelessly for their welfare or indulging in negative politics.