Looks promising on paper

Government’s ‘Vision 2025’

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made public his government’s plans to make a civil nuclear power plant in Karachi that will produce 2,117 Megawatts of electricity. The ambitious plan was only a part of a series of initiatives that came out in his inaugural address at the National Consultation Conference (Pakistan Vision 2025). Reportedly, more than 1,000 professionals and experts from public and private sectors, the business community, politicians, members of the civil society, academia and media professionals attended the conference. A brainchild of the federal planning and development minister, Ahsan Iqbal, ‘Pakistan Vision 2025’ has set goals promoting sciences and technology, developing human and social capital through support of education and fostering greater acceptance of diversity. It also emphasizes the importance of the private sector and the role of individuals in the future development of the country.

Speaking earlier this year, Iqbal said, under this Vision, Pakistan would become one of the fastest growing economies in Asia and the objective behind it was to make the country a developed one by its centenary, in 2047. The ‘Vision 2025’ and the 11th five-year plan is scheduled to be finalised by the year-end and after its approval from the National Economic Council, will be implemented from January next year.

Interestingly, it is not the first time that the PML-N government has come up with a vision. A similar ‘Vision 2010’ too was presented in its previous tilt in the 1990s as well, but before it could really get going, its government was sacked. An unfortunate political reality in this part of the world: every political regime plans in the short-term for the fear its successor will discard the plan and bring in its own. However, the PML-N has once again attempted to come up with a long-term vision which goes far beyond its term. What the government needs to realize is that all plans prepared by bureaucracy look fine until put into practice. The most essential ingredient for the success of any plan is good governance which is lacking. Then the pace is also set by access to the PM, who is frequently out of the country. The government also lacks focus: many heads of state enterprises which have to play a key role in implementing important decisions are yet to be appointed despite a lapse of around six months. That does not need much of a vision, though.