Islamabad, Feb 4 (PTI) Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed the commitment to take the country towards economic growth, citing further reduction in inflation.

Addressing the cabinet meeting he chaired, Sharif said he was confident that all economic targets would be achieved.

He said the annual inflation maintained a decelerating trend, hitting a nine-year low at 2.4 per cent year-on-year in January, mainly due to a decline in prices of perishable food products.

“Now, we are fully striving to head toward economic growth. This is the main challenge. All of our energies will be focused on economic growth. Just like other targets, we will achieve this too,” he said.

He also talked about the strict conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund, which last year provided a USD 7 billion loan to Pakistan. The requirements included imposing an agriculture tax, which has now been fulfilled, with Sindh and Balochistan provinces approving it, he said.

Sharif said that the Ministry of National Food Security has been directed to come up with a Ramadan package to ensure transparency and the provision of quality items to the public at subsidised rates during the Muslim holy month.

The prime minister also paid tributes to the security personnel for rendering their lives to eliminate terrorism and ensure peace in the country. He said their sacrifices will be written in golden words in history. PTI SH GRS GRS GRS

IMF conditionality prompts agriculture tax approval and renewed commitment to economic growth with inflation easing. The government prioritized economic growth amid easing annual inflation and affirmed meeting IMF conditionality, noting enactment of an agriculture tax with provincial approvals; the cabinet directed the Ministry of National Food Security to prepare a transparent Ramadan package of subsidised quality food items.