ISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (APP): Minister of State for Planning and Development Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani on Friday said Pakistan’s Human Development Index (HDI) had shown improvement despite facing severe socio-economic pressures in recent years, including the 2022 floods, reduced investments, and low tax revenues.
Responding to questions during the National Assembly session, he said the country’s HDI score had risen from 1.6 to 1.8, acknowledging that the overall situation remained “a matter of concern” for the government.
He said that macroeconomic stress, limited development spending and the devastating impact of floods had collectively affected human development indicators, but the government was actively working to reverse the decline.
Clarifying concerns raised by a member about the establishment of new Danish Schools instead of upgrading existing institutions, the minister said education was a devolved subject, yet the federal government—through the Prime Minister’s “Uraan Pakistan” initiative—was committed to expanding quality learning opportunities for underprivileged communities.
He informed the House that 12 new Danish Schools were being set up across the country including 1 in ICT, 3 in GB, 3 in AJ&K and 5 in Balochistan.
He assured the House that all 12 approved projects were fully funded under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and progressing without any financial hurdles.
He added that 10 additional projects were in the pipeline to further address educational gaps in remote regions.
Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani said the government was also prioritizing reforms in the health sector under a five-year programme (2024–2029) aimed at improving maternal and child health, strengthening family planning services, enhancing health governance, and ensuring the procurement of essential medicines.
The minister reaffirmed that education and health remain core pillars of human development, and the federal government would continue to support provinces in strengthening service delivery.