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LAHORE, Nov 29 (APP):Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof. Ahsan Iqbal has said that the youths should play an active role in environmentally friendly development to protect the country from climate risks and enhance industrial competitiveness under the government’s Green Productivity 2.0 Vision.
Addressing the two-day International Conference on Green Productivity 2.0 at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), here on Saturday, he said the Udaan Pakistan initiative is central to national development, with youth as the country’s major assets. He added that the government is implementing green projects across industries, including renewable energy, low-carbon practices, circular economy initiatives, green hydrogen, and modern technologies, aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s global competitiveness.
He said that these efforts are being carried out in collaboration with the private sector, academia, environmental experts, and international organizations, and stressed that the reforms will enhance industrial productivity, exports, employment opportunities, and environmental sustainability in the years ahead.
The planning minister also noted past disasters, pointing out that the 2022 floods alone caused losses of $30 billion. He said Udaan Pakistan and Vision 2030 aim to position Pakistan among modern economies by integrating innovative and sustainable priorities across all sectors.
Later, talking to the media, he said the politics of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is non-democratic and aimed at spreading unrest, while India and PTI are on the same page against Pakistan’s national integrity. He said that PTI’s tenure is regarded as the darkest period in Pakistan’s political history, during which youth were deprived of development, education, and skill-building. He said the PTI leadership is pursuing a policy of political revenge, maligning Pakistan internationally, and aligning with hostile foreign interests. He criticized the KP government for failing in governance, using political narratives, and misusing federal leadership for political gains.
He said that both the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had bravely faced some of the harshest periods of martial law in the country’s history, but the level of repression experienced during the tenure of the founder of PTI surpassed even those eras. He said false cases were instituted, leaders were jailed, and restrictions were imposed on the media, yet his party fought its political battle strictly within the constitutional boundaries of the state.
The conference, organized by LUMS Energy Institute in collaboration with the National Productivity Organization (NPO) Pakistan and the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), Japan, was attended by over 80 international delegates from 21 countries, along with senior officials from federal ministries.
During the conference, participants discussed sustainable development, low-carbon industrial growth, green hydrogen, circular economy initiatives, and regional cooperation in productivity and environmental governance. Souvenirs were presented to attendees, and Dr. Fayyaz Chaudhry, Senior Advisor at LUMS Energy Institute, presented a shield to the federal minister.