LAHORE, June 17 (APP): Federal Minister for Planning, Development and
Reforms, Ahsan Iqbal said on Friday that positive attitude and political stability were imperative to ensure economic progress and development of the country.
Addressing the Huawei-Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) summer
internship programme celebration 2016 here at a local hotel, he said that the country has reached at a stage where the world was hopeful about its progress.
“Two days back Pakistan again has been included in Emerging Market
Index and the world was seeing Pakistan as emerging economy, he said and added it was all due to able leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, his team and people of the country.”
The minister said that terrorists have been crushed and law and order
situation in Karachi has been improved a lot whereas the Balochistan has also been included in national streamline, he added.
Ahsan Iqbal said that importance of China Pakistan Economic Corridor
could not be minimized, adding that work on various energy projects under CPEC was underway which would help overcome electricity crisis.
He said that unfortunately in last 67 years the coal in Thar was not
utilized for the development of the country but now the mining work has been started under CPEC. The coal would also be utilized for electricity production, he added.
Federal Minister said that work on 3600 MW LNG power projects was also in progress and the electricity generated with these projects would be added in national grid.
He said that all these measures should have been taken some 10 to 15
years back but now the present government knowing its responsibilities focused on overcoming all existing challenges.
He said that investment on energy, infrastructure, transport and human was being made. He said there were a lot of opportunities for engineers in CPEC.
Ahsan Iqbal said that with a vision of making country a digital
economy, the 3G and 4G license were auctioned.
He said that youth was empowered through laptops and today, the
students were working with renowned software houses as laptops helped them to achieve their goals.
He further said that optic fibre cable was being installed from Khushab
to Islamabad which would benefit IT industry and other sectors.
He appealed to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek Chief Tahir-ul-Qadri to quit the politics of sit-ins.
He said that protests and sit-ins just created unrest in the country.
PEC Chairman Jawad Salim Quershi and Huawei Deputy Managing Director Mr Tony Lee also spoke on the occasion.
