PM Khan approves historic package for IT sector

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said Pakistan did not want to become part of a particular bloc in the region but instead desired trading relations with all countries including Russia. In an interview with host Oksana Boyko of Russia Television ahead of his visit to Moscow, he said Pakistan suffered in the past because of the politics of the blocs and did not want to repeat the mistake. The prime minister said the last thing Pakistan wanted was the world to be divided into blocs.

While speaking regarding relations with India, the prime minister said that his country formally invited India for talks soon after he came to power. “I offer to hold a live debate with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over rising hatred in India,” he said. PM Imran Khan said that the incumbent Indian government led by Narendra Modi is implementing the RSS-led Hindutva agenda. “India should understand that rising hatred will increase bloodshed in the region,” he said.

Prime Minister on Tuesday said that as no country can progress without industrial development, expanding Pakistan’s industrial base was among the government’s foremost priorities. Besides taking measures for enhancing industrial capacity and the revival of sick units, the present government for the first time in the country had given a comprehensive policy for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), he added. The Prime Minister was talking to Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin and Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, who called on him here.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister was briefed in detail about the measures taken by government for development of industrial sector and future strategy. The Prime Minister further said that owing to the government’s business-friendly policies, the industrial sector was progressing.  Prime Minister has approved a historic package including landmark incentives for the Information Technology (IT) sector at the Ministry of Information Technology’s (MoIT) request.  In an executive meeting on Tuesday, the PM approved the package, especially tending to freelancers, IT companies and start-ups in particular. Officials of the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication, the Pakistan Software Export Board, the State Bank of Pakistan, the Federal Board of Revenue, the Special Technology Zone Authority and Ignite National Technology Fund also attended the meeting.