Ahsan Iqbal stresses joint efforts to cope with present-day challenges

LAHORE, Aug 31 (APP):Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiative Prof. Ahsan Iqbal Saturday emphasised joint efforts to steer the country out of present-day challenges and put it on the path to progress and economic development.

He was addressing as the chief guest at the launching ceremony of a book: “ICMA’s Economic Vision and Strategy: Building a Brighter Future for Pakistan”, published by ICMA Research and Publication Wing here at ICMA (Institute of Cost and Management Accountants) Campus.

Ahsan Iqbal said that Pakistan has vast resources and potential, but there was a need to focus on productivity, quality, and innovation to enhance competitiveness, profitability, and economic development. He said that Prime Minister would soon present a national development programme to the nation, adding that government is well aware of the county’s and the people’s problems; however, “we all have to use our best skills with responsibility to resolve these issues, while keeping in view the root causes of the prevailing disappointment among us. Pakistan is rich with resource and Pakistanis are well known in many countries of the world as talented and intelligent people, so we have the ability to resolve our problems in a better manner”. He was of view that one’s self-esteem and positive thinking can elevate one to the skies, while the one with damaged self-esteemed and lack of quest would fail despite having all resources.

The federal minister remarked that increasing country’s exports is the only way to achieve economic growth, adding that export-led growth strategy, consistency in economic policies, and political stability continuity couple with joint endeavors of all the stakeholders and quest for the country’s development and people’s prosperity could rank Pakistan in the world’s top economies.

The minister mentioned that World Economic Forum, in its recent report, termed misinformation as the biggest threat to the world countries and their economies, asserting that chaos and anarchy were being spread through psychological warfare in the countries to demoralised their nations and jeopardise their economies. Pakistan is also a victim of the phenomenon, he said and remarked that nations could sustain economic crisis and pull themselves out of these problems but a society having all resources but with damaged self-esteem can never get on its feet.

Ahsan Iqbal said that everyone could differ from one’s opinion and one could not claim one’s opinion as ultimate, and when difference of opinion was not tolerated, it leads to hatred among people and destroys the social fabric. A party and its top leader used to trample upon those who would differ from his opinion, and subject its political opponent to severe character assassination through social media and create hate for them among the people.

The previous PML-N government brought everything in order till 2017, he said and cited that then PML-N government, through effective and well-conceived policies, had eliminated the menace of terrorism, overcome the power load-shedding, brought huge foreign investment through CPEC in Pakistan, controlled the inflation and improve all economic indicators. But later, a man who never contested even a UC election was made the ruler through political manoeuvring and that man had destroyed each and every thing and not only brought Pakistan back to zero but also defamed it in the comity of nations.

Ahsan Iqbal said that the present government accepted the challenge of saving the dwindling economy of the country and succeed in saving Pakistan from default.

Later, responding to a reporter’s query, he said that government is providing modern skills to the youth so that they could prove front-foot worriers in the 4th industrial revolution.