ISLAMABAD: According to a statement, US Ambassador Donald Blome met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday to talk about a variety of bilateral problems.
Blome and Shehbaz spoke about a range of topics, including trade and investment, education, climate change, private sector-led economic growth, US support for ongoing economic reforms with and through the IMF, and collaborating with the Pakistani government on regional security, according to Acting US Mission Spokesperson Thomas Montgomery.
The US supports Pakistani democracy and the vital role of an independent press, according to Ambassador Blome.
The prime minister and the ambassador also talked about how both nations may cooperate to advance climate change initiatives within the framework of the US-Pakistan Green Alliance.
Call from the U.S. Ambassador to the Prime Minister
Amb. Donald Blome, the US ambassador to Pakistan, visited the prime minister earlier today at the Prime Minister’s residence as a courtesy.
As for bilateral relations between the two nations, the prime minister, according to state-run APP, expressed satisfaction with how things are now going. However, he emphasised the need to keep the positive momentum going by regularly convening existing dialogue mechanisms that are centred on trade, investment, energy, health, defence, education, agriculture, and climate change.
The prime minister declared that in order to strengthen the economy and draw in foreign investment, his administration will prioritise macroeconomic reforms.
In this context, he also emphasised the function of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), which was founded to expedite foreign investments in Pakistan’s priority industries.
The discussion also covered a number of bilateral and regionally significant problems, such as the state of affairs in Gaza and the Red Sea, the progress made in Afghanistan, and the case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, which the prime minister brought up with a great deal of vigour.
Ambassador Blome congratulated the prime minister on his reelection and stated that the United States saw Pakistan as a valuable ally and wished to collaborate with the government to develop closer relations between the two nations.
The purpose of the conference is to address the persistent disparity in the allocation of fiscal resources between the federal and provincial governments. The global lender has called upon Pakistan to resume discussions on the National Finance Commission (NFC) award.
Nathan Porter, the IMF Mission Chief to Pakistan, expressed concerns about the allocation of resources and responsibilities during the first round of talks for a $1.1 billion loan tranche, highlighting the need for a more equitable arrangement. Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistan’s finance minister, was in attendance for these discussions.
Government representatives revealed to The Express Tribune that the IMF highlighted the necessity for a reevaluation of the NFC award, pointing to differences in the distribution of resources between national and local government bodies.
Under the 2010 model, provinces’ allocation of total federal revenues increased from 47.5% to 57.5% without any corresponding transfer of additional duties. As a result, there is now a persistent budgetary deficit and a growing national debt.
The provincial shares cannot be lowered without a constitutional amendment and the approval of a new formula by all of the provinces, the Pakistani government told the IMF.
There hasn’t been any agreement to review the 2010 NFC award since it was agreed upon for a five-year term.
