Reforms: Pakistan will be made top economy, says Ahsan

Minister stresses the need for development of human resource

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said on Thursday that the government was determined to turn Pakistan into one of the top 25 economies of the world over the next 10 years. He was speaking at an award distribution ceremony at the University of Health Sciences (UHS).

Iqbal said that the world had entered a knowledge revolution. “This is not the age of war,” he said, adding, “We should follow the agenda of socio-economic uplift instead of pursuing our political gains.”

The minister said that sustained development was not possible with a negative approach. “The country is emerging out of the shadows and entering an era of enlightenment. Pakistan was called the most dangerous country in the world by the western media in 2013. Today, the same media is calling Pakistan an emerging economy,” he said.

Iqbal said that the government had increased the budgetary allocation for Higher Education Commission from Rs48 billion to Rs78 billion. “Collaborative efforts are on to eradicate polio and make Pakistan a polio-free country over the next year,” Iqbal said.

He stressed the need for development of human resource calling it the key to inclusive and sustainable growth.

Iqbal said in order to achieve Vision-2025 goals, the focus should be on energy security, self-reliance in growth rate, development of human resources, social development, value addition in production units, modernisation and regional connectivity of infrastructure, promotion of small and medium enterprises and democratic governance of institution reforms.

“Vision 2025 is a long-term project aimed at socio economic prosperity of the country,” he said. Earlier, shields and certificates were distributed among the position holders in various disciplines.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2016.