PM Shehbaz Sharif Acknowledges MBS’s Ongoing Support in Polio Eradication Efforts

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the Anti-Polio Task Force in Islamabad, urging authorities to intensify their efforts to completely eradicate polio from the country.

Reaffirming the government’s firm commitment, the premier stressed that despite facing numerous challenges, every child must be protected from this debilitating disease. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that children receive multiple doses of the polio vaccine to build long-term immunity.

Highlighting the significant progress made so far, PM Shehbaz commended the active cooperation of provincial governments and relevant institutions. He also underlined that the safety and security of frontline polio workers remain a top government priority.

Calling for greater unity and urgency, he urged all stakeholders to step up their efforts to achieve a polio-free Pakistan.

The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his consistent support of Pakistan’s anti-polio efforts. He also acknowledged the vital contribution of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the national campaign.

During the meeting, officials briefed the Prime Minister on targeted vaccination campaigns planned for specific districts in the southern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tailored to local challenges. The government’s goal is not only to eliminate polio cases among children but also to completely remove the virus from the environment across the country.

Separately, PM Shehbaz Sharif chaired a weekly meeting on developing a cashless and digital economy. He highlighted the importance of digital payment systems in making economic transactions more transparent and efficient.

The Prime Minister noted that adopting digital payment methods has become a necessity to simplify transactions between citizens and businesses and to raise public awareness about digital financial tools.

He instructed the committees overseeing the cashless economy to collaborate with all stakeholders and propose practical, actionable plans.

The meeting was informed that the State Bank of Pakistan is working on strategies to simplify digital payment processes for traders and to promote wider adoption among small businesses. As part of this plan, a simplified package will soon be introduced to bring more small enterprises into the digital payments ecosystem.

The government aims to increase the number of mobile app users making digital payments from 95 million to 120 million, and to grow the overall volume of digital transactions from 7.5 billion rupees to 12 billion rupees. PM Shehbaz directed officials to double these targets for greater impact.

Additionally, the meeting was briefed on initiatives to expand Wi-Fi access across Islamabad, particularly in hospitals, educational institutions, government offices, public parks, and along metro bus routes, to support broader digital adoption.