Shehbaz Sharif's BIG statement after Operation Sindoor, says, 'No more begging bowl...'

Amid rising tensions with India, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said even close allies no longer expect Islamabad to roam the world with a "begging bowl", reported India Today. The Pak Prime Minister added that he and Army Chief Field Marshal General Asim Munir do not want to carry the weight of economic dependency any longer. 

Addressing Pak military personnel in Quetta on Saturday, i.e., May 31, Sharif called China a "time-tested" friend and Saudi Arabia a "trustworthy" and "reliable" ally. "This applies to Turkey, Qatar and the UAE," he added. 

Shehbaz Sharif continued, "But let me point out abundantly here that they expect us now to engage them in trade, commerce, innovation, research and development, education and health, investments, and profitable ventures mutually. They no longer expect us to go there with a begging bowl". 

Sharif further highlighted that Islamabad should utilise natural and human resources to bring the country back to track. "I am the last person, along with Field Marshal Asim Munir, to carry this (economic) burden any more on our shoulders. The Almighty has blessed us with natural and human resources. We must make full use of them and deploy them for these very profitable ventures," he said. 

Tensions with India 

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's remarks follow India's military action -- Operation Sindoor -- in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. During escalations with India in the aftermath of New Delhi's military action, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) provided Pakistan with a fresh bailout of USD 1 billion. 

Turkey and Azerbaijan sided with Islamabad during the conflict, with Turkey even supplying military equipment to Pak.