Islamabad: Setting a singular precedent, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday chaired two crucial government meetings at home via video-link from London, just a day before his scheduled open heart surgery.

He presided over the back-to-back meetings of the National Economic Council and the federal cabinet for approval of the national budget for fiscal 2016-17 to be presented to the parliament on Friday.

According to the national broadcaster, Sharif told reporters on arrival at the Pakistan High Commission in London that he has been part of the consultative process for preparation of the budgetary proposals.

Nawaz Sharif thanked all those who expressed concern over his health and prayed for his early recovery.

The government has dismissed criticism by opponents of the prime minister’s decision to oversee affairs of the state from foreign soil.

It has not been officially stated yet as to who will run the government affairs during the period from the cardiac surgery to complete recovery of the prime minister.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Pakistan (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, a strong critic of Nawaz Sharif, said the decision to run the government electronically from outside the country could not be taken in a democracy.

Khan suggested that Sharif should have stepped down to avoid such a situation.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of Pakistan People’s Party, while addressing a public meeting at Mirpur in Kashmir, asked people to pray for the prime minister’s speedy recovery but lashed out at what he called his “disastrous” policies.

The National Economic Council approved a Federal Public Sector Development Programme of about 800 billion rupees (Dh28.03 billion) for the next financial year.

Apart from the federal development outlay, the provinces will also be spending 875 billion rupees on development, taking total development plan to 1,675 billion rupees.

Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Sharif expressed confidence that achievements of the present government during the last three years would provide a firm foundation for economic development and stability.

He said GDP growth during the three years of his government voted into power in 2013 for five years remained above four per cent.

This year the country is set to achieve GDP growth rate of 4.71 per cent, the highest in eight years, he said.