ISLAMABAD, Jul 14 (APP): Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday called for giving a shut up call to all those elements who were creating uncertainty by disseminating rumors about future of the government.
“It took 65 years to tell the world that Pakistan has become a democratically strong country as the previous democratic government completed its five years tenure for the first time in the country’s history and now the current government was on its way to complete its tenure”, Ahsan Iqbal said while addressing the annual meeting of Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) here.
He said corruption was not the main factor for slow development of the country as what he claimed that in India, there was more corruption than in Pakistan but it was growing with much higher pace.
“The only pre-requisite for development of any nation is political stability and continuity of the policies from one government to another, which is possible only through the democratic system”, the minister added.
He said the military rules in Pakistan caused irreparable damages to the country as it was deprived of its eastern part during the dictatorship while during Musharaf era, Balochistan was on the verge of slipping away from the hands of the country.
However, he said the democratically elected government of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz had helped to include Balochistan in national mainstream where Pakistani flag was now being hoisted everywhere whether it was Sibbi,
Quetta, Dera Bugti or Gwadar.
Ahsan Iqbal asked opposition parties to work diligently in their respective provinces instead of creating uncertainty about the country’s stability.
He said in the general elections to be held in 2018, the people would only vote those parties which had worked better than the others.
Giving details about the current government’s achievements, the minister informed that in 2013, when the PML-N government took over the charge, challenges of energy and extremism were on their extreme.
But, he said due to prudent policies of the government, the country had now come out of those crisis.
Iqbal said the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a gift for the nation which would change the country’s fate.
He said work on the projects under CPEC had been started with full pace.
The minister informed that work on the 1320 MW power project at Port Qasim, Karachi was going on rapidly while another 1320 MW power project in Sahiwal would start producing electricity by June, 2017.
Similarly he said the 3600 MW Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) based three power projects (1200MW each) would also start producing electricity by May, 2017.
Ahsan Iqbal said work of 2000 MW K-2 and K-3 nuclear power projects was also ongoing which would be completed by 2020.
He said work on mega hydro projects of Dasu and Diamir Bhasha Dam had also been started.
He further informed that by December, 2016, Gwadar city would be connected by road with Quetta, Khuzdar, Ratodero and Sukkur, while in three to five years, Karachi- Lahore Motorway would also be completed.
He said the current government during its three years period,
earmarked Rs 100 billion for the up-gradation of Pakistan Railways while the cargo service of PR had also been revived due to which the cost was reduced by 50 percent.
He said the railway track from Karachi to Lahore was also being up-graded step by step which would help increasing the speed up to 160 kilometers per hour.
Regarding service structure of the engineers, the minister said that recommendation in this regard were being prepared which would be presented before the Prime Minister for approval.
