PM Shehbaz rules out letting protest politics harm economy

October 06, 2026 (MLN): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that no one will be allowed to damage the country's economy through protest politics, adding that the law will take its course to protect the lives and property of citizens, and has urged the PTI to call off its long march, in return for which the government will sit down with it for talks.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kashmir Chowk Underpass in Islamabad, the premier said ending the long march was also the voice and will of the nation.

He pointed to the macroeconomic stability achieved over the past two and a half years, along with the rise in exports and remittances, said a press release issued.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who spoke earlier at the ceremony, said the underpass is one of the projects meant to transform and beautify Islamabad ahead of next year's SCO Summit.

He said the capital will be made plastic-free by the end of this year, and that the government also plans to make it cashless and digitize its land records within the same period. He added that projects such as a park equal in size to F-9 Park and a Safari Park are planned to make the federal capital greener.

The prime minister said the PML-N and the PPP had jointly decided, after consultations, to hold meaningful, result-oriented talks with the PTI in good faith, in an effort to persuade it to give up long marches and settle issues through dialogue.

He said that despite the government's seriousness, the talks did not prove productive, and he regretted that the other side did not seem willing to make them succeed.

Shehbaz Sharif also praised Mohsin Naqvi for setting a one-month deadline to complete the Kashmir Chowk Underpass.

He said road infrastructure, including bridges and underpasses, helps different segments of society reach their destinations on time and contributes to the country's socio-economic uplift.

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