Federal Investment Minister Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh has said he has repeatedly asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to hear his concerns, but the premier remains too busy.

Speaking at the Karachi Press Club, Sheikh said he hoped to meet the prime minister soon and discuss the issues he has been raising.

He said Karachi is the country’s economic center but has not received a similar standing in national politics. According to him, the city should have a stronger political role.

Sheikh said countries around the world had achieved economic growth by expanding exports. He credited the prime minister and Field Marshal Asim Munir for their diplomatic efforts and said the private sector must now help turn those efforts into higher exports.

The minister said the Board of Investment was also working to reduce regulatory hurdles to encourage investment.

He warned that continued political confrontation would make it difficult to improve the country’s economic conditions. He also alleged that political parties have groups of bureaucrats associated with them.

Discussing relations between the federal and provincial governments, Sheikh criticized what he described as the misuse of the 18th Amendment by chief ministers. He said similar practices were taking place in both Sindh and Punjab.

The minister also highlighted the pressure on households from inflation caused by elevated global oil prices.

Sheikh claimed that around 110 million to 120 million people in Pakistan are living below the poverty line, underscoring the scale of the economic challenges facing the country.