Colombo Summit: Ahsan makes strong pitch for peace

Says this will minimise use of intra-regional hostilities in domestic politics and strengthen democracies.

ISLAMABAD: Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday called for regional peace in South Asia and resolving political differences through negotiations in order to divert scarce resource on building human capital.

“It would help us in implementing a regional disaster risk reduction strategy where upper and lower riverine countries would coordinate better and work together to avoid disasters like floods and water scarcity,” said Ahsan Iqbal in his key note address at the 6th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) in Colombo.

This, he said, would minimise the use of intra-regional hostilities in the domestic politics and in turn strengthen democracies.

“On top of it, an inclusive and economically integrated South Asia is the answer to growing energy scarcity,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2013.