UNITED NATIONS: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has urged the world community to focus on trade as the path to economic development and not aid since it fosters dependency.
Sharif was sharing his ideas and suggestions on the issue of Global partnerships for development to create jobs and improve sustainable lifestyles while addressing the high-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York.
The prime minister is on a week-long official visit to New York to represent Pakistan in the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly scheduled from September 23 to September 29. He will meet several foreign delegates at the UN summit and also expected to meet his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He said the development agenda should not be based on aid alone. He said that he was an advocate of trade and not aid, market access, economic partnerships, and transfer of technology and scientific know-how.
The prime minister added he was against aid because it creates dependency and stunts the growth of states.
Regarding poverty reduction, he also pointed out that despite efforts that have been made by the United Nations, “poverty is still stalking the earth.”
Sharif said his government was investing maximum time and energy in indirect interventions, in reviving the national economy and taking the economic growth from the present 3.6% to more than 7% in next five years.
This will give a strong stimulus to agriculture, industry, trade, and services and create millions of new jobs. The government is also giving incentives to the private sector to generate maximum employment, he noted.
The premier also called on Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who assured Nawaz Sharif of his cooperation in eradicating polio from Pakistan.
