ISLAMABAD: Planning, Development and Reforms Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said that it is not possible for any one country to tackle terrorism, environmental and other such issues alone and that countries should join hands to handle these challenges together.
He was addressing the 28th meeting of Regional Planning Council of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), a four-day event that began in Islamabad on Monday. Iqbal remarked that proper conservation of natural resources is needed for the betterment of our future generations.
He said that since the world is better connected now, a lot can be done to further these programmes by utilising the technologies that are available. Iqbal stated that focus must now be placed on human resource development for overall economic development. ECO Special Conference on Afghanistan along with “ECO Day 2017” will also be held on the sidelines of the meeting on Thursday.
On Sunday, Ahsan Iqbal said that four to five resignations of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) legislators will not damage the PML-N government. Addressing a ceremony in Narowal, Ahsan Iqbal said that political opponents are busy in pulling government’s leg through different tactics, and added that PML-N government will complete its tenure. He asserted that Pakistan does not need protests in the current scenario but development.
“The nation knows that these sit-ins are only being staged to hinder the progress of the country,” he said and added that if the elections are conducted in 60 or 90 days, no one will be able to stop PML-N from winning. “But a conspiracy is being made to bring a caretaker government for a long period through which rigging can be done in elections for being successful. But I think that it is not possible,” pronounced Ahsan Iqbal.
The minister said that sabotaging the Senate elections means to stop the timely process of election. He urged the opposition parties not to become a part of the conspiracy and wait for their turn as Pakistan needs unity and solidarity. He also said that the government has managed to eliminate terrorism to a large extent.
“The government has curtailed terrorism to a large extent and people in Pakistan are now spending peaceful lives,” The minister added that citizens would become victims of terrorism like in the past, but most of the people are leading peaceful lives now.
Discussing the electricity deficit and subsequent load shedding in the country, the minister claimed that Pakistanis are being provided with an uninterrupted power supply for 22-hours. “There used to be a 22-hour load-shedding schedule in the past, but the situation has changed now,” he said.
The interior minister further said that Pakistan is faced with ‘many international conspiracies’. “Our enemies are afraid of our economic development,” he said and added, “Pakistan is an atomic power and can become an international power to reckon with if it becomes an economic power as well.”
“Pakistan’s economic progress can only be halted by political chaos and internal conflicts,” Ahsan Iqbal said.
