Islamabad, Jan 15 (IANS): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the civil servants of the country to work hard to steer the nation out of the challenges it has been facing.

Addressing the passing-out ceremony of probationary officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service on Saturday in Lahore, Sharif appreciated the active service of the new civil servants during their training period in the areas which were affected by the devastating floods last year, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The prime minister said that he had visited several flood-affected areas including the under-developed southwestern Balochistan province, and personally witnessed the tremendous work carried out by the civil servants.

He said Pakistani public servants can serve the nation very well given that they are provided with a conducive working environment and their services are properly acknowledged.

Sharif reminded the young officers that after assuming their basic responsibilities in practical life, they would be confronted with issues like unemployment, poverty, disease, lack of education and delayed response to public problems.

The prime minister expressed hope that they would be able to deal with these challenges successfully.