Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made it clear that nobody will be allowed to harm the country's economy through the politics of protests.

Addressing a ceremony in connection with the groundbreaking of Kashmir Chowk Underpass in Islamabad today, he categorically said that law would take its course for protection of lives and property of the people.

The Prime Minister mentioned the macroeconomic stability achieved by the country over the last two and a half years and highlighted the increase in exports and remittances.

The Prime Minister called on the PTI to call off its long march, saying if it does so, the government will sit with it in order to take the country forward.  He emphasized that this is also the will and voice of the nation.

The Prime Minister said the PML-N and the PPP had collectively decided, after mutual consultations, to hold meaningful and result-oriented negotiations with the PTI in good faith, with the aim of persuading it to abandon the politics of long marches and resolve issues through dialogue. He said that despite the government’s seriousness, the talks failed to remain productive, regretting that the other side did not appear willing to make the negotiations successful. 

Shehbaz Sharif was appreciative of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi for setting the timeline of one month for completing Kashmir Chowk Underpass.  He emphasized that road infrastructure including bridges and underpasses facilitate different segments of the society to reach their destination points on time and contribute to the socio economic uplift of the country.   

Earlier in his remarks, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Kashmir Chowk Underpass is part of projects aimed at transforming and further beautifying Islamabad ahead of the SCO Summit next year.

Referring to other initiatives, the Interior Minister said Islamabad will be made plastic-free by the end of this year. He said the government also aims to make the capital cashless and digitize its land records by the end of the year. He also highlighted projects, including a park the size of F-9 Park and a Safari Park, aimed at making the federal capital greener.