Planning minister calls for restoring moral values for national development

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16 (APP): Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Friday stressed the need to restore moral values, strengthen ethical foundations and promote collective responsibility, saying sustainable national development requires integrity and mutual trust alongside economic growth and infrastructure.

Addressing a roundtable meeting on building a value-based society, character development and shared responsibility, the minister said integrity, ethics and equality must serve as fundamental pillars of Pakistan’s development agenda under URAAN Pakistan.

“Infrastructure is the hardware of development, while ethical values are its software. Without a strong moral foundation, sustainable and meaningful progress is not possible,” he said, underscoring the importance of honesty, professional ethics and responsibility in strengthening public institutions and improving service delivery.

Ahsan Iqbal observed that Pakistan’s challenge was not merely a lack of education but also the weakening of character-building and moral upbringing.

He said the quality of healthcare depended not only on hospital buildings and modern equipment but also on the conduct of doctors and nurses, while responsible teachers were essential to the success of educational institutions.

He called for promoting unity, character-building and practical moral guidance through religious and educational institutions, stressing that the honest and efficient use of national resources could significantly improve development outcomes.

“If every individual protects public resources as carefully as their own money, Pakistan can achieve far better results from its development expenditure,” he said, calling for renewed efforts to promote integrity, discourage corruption and eliminate practices such as bribery and adulteration.

The meeting participants were briefed on a proposed framework titled “Prosperous Pakistan” for building a value-based society, with civic responsibility and professional ethics as its two central pillars.

The presentation highlighted the need to translate values into everyday conduct through families, educational institutions, workplaces and the media, rather than restricting efforts to awareness campaigns.

The proposed initiative draws on the principles of the Constitution of Pakistan and existing national frameworks, including the National Curriculum of Pakistan and Paigham-e-Pakistan.

It envisages phased implementation, beginning with pilot initiatives in Islamabad Capital Territory or selected districts across the provinces, followed by broader integration into educational institutions and professional settings.

The minister called for sustained collaboration among federal and provincial governments, educational institutions, families and religious centres to restore ethical values and strengthen social cohesion.

He directed the establishment of a permanent working group to develop and advance initiatives promoting ethics, character-building and civic responsibility across society.