LAHORE: Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal conceded that the challenges faced by the country look daunting. Should we lose hope for Pakistan’s future because of these problems, or should we consider it our responsibility to solve them, he questioned?
Talking to the media after attending a session of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants, he said at this moment, the public’s issues are everyone’s issues. But some quarters are determined to break the will of the people through false narratives.
Iqbal said in today’s world, wars are fought and countries are destroyed through information. In this regard the first step is to spread hatred through psychological warfare to destroy a society. In our country, the youth have been taught to label someone as a thief and a robber with just one word. “Among these thieves and robbers, one robber is standing right in front of you” he said, adding a case was made against him for building a sports complex in Narowal.
“I was imprisoned in Adiala Jail in the same cell where now Imran Khan is imprisoned. If that cell was suitable for someone of my stature, it should be fine for others too. You can’t have one scale for others and another for yourself,” he added.
If Pakistan has lagged behind other countries, what is the reason for it? Is it due to a lack of intelligence, honesty, or resources among Pakistanis? God has made us more intelligent than other nations. The world says that the people of Pakistan are very hardworking and intelligent. The identity of Pakistanis is their hard work and intelligence. If you want to make an institution fail, destroy its self-image. Your mindset can take you to the skies or bring you down to the earth, the federal minister said.
“Today, we need to understand what the biggest threat to the country is in this era. The economy of the country can recover, but self-respect must be maintained. Pakistan needs unity in its ranks. We should allow space for differences of opinion,” he added.
Unfortunately, a culture has developed in Pakistan where people eat desi chicken and make a fuss. We need to be aware of this psychological news. We cannot pull this country out of this crisis alone. We need to look forward, he said. In 2013, there was 18-hour load shedding, and we resolved it. Every day, there were suicide bombings in the country. We restored the vibrancy of Karachi. We do not work hard in our own country, but when we go abroad, we become machine parts. We need to learn from our mistakes and pave the way for the future.
If Pakistan moves forward continuously for ten years, the country will achieve in ten years what others have achieved in 25 to 30 years. We have disrupted our journey with our own hands. We need to learn from our mistakes. Pakistan’s stock market has improved, which means confidence in the country has been restored. Fitch and Moody’s have upgraded Pakistan, the minister said. Earlier, addressing a book launch ceremony at the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants Lahore Campus, Ahsan Iqbal appealed that every citizen of Pakistan to play their role in solving the country’s problems.
