Centre, provinces 'made decisions in the best interest of Pakistan', PM says in NEC meeting

Addressing the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the Centre, in collaboration with provinces, had taken decisions in the national interest. The NEC met to finalise federal and provincial development plans ahead of the presentation of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year (FY2026-27). It is the highest economic decision-making forum of the federation, led by the premier and comprising the four chief ministers and four federal ministers. “The Centre […] held consultations with the provinces on all matters with extreme seriousness, and we made decisions in the best interest of Pakistan,” PM Shehbaz said in remarks aired on television. The prime minister thanked all chief ministers for their “consultations and assistance on all matters”. PM Shehbaz noted that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz could not attend the meeting as she was recovering after her recent medical procedure. “Today, despite having to face big challenges, our economy is stable at the macroeconomic level. But, injecting growth into this is an extremely important process,” the premier observed. “Advancing employment, production, exports and economic activity is our collective responsibility,” he said, adding that all governments tried their best to stay on track on the IMF programme despite “some difficult stages”. In his address, he also spoke of a phone call with Managing Director IMF Kristalina Georgieva, saying that during the conversation, Georgieva was “extremely appreciative of Pakistan’s sincere efforts” towards the IMF programme. He noted that ahead of the NEC, the centre had been consulting with the provinces on where more resources could be brought in. PM Shehbaz noted that the “biggest challenge” the country faced was “to strengthen our defence”, particularly against terrorism. “The entire nation, especially KP and Balochistan as well as the law enforcement agencies and armed forces, is making sacrifices in the fight against terrorism