Pakistan Must Achieve Economic Success Like its Nuclear Program, Says Iqbal

At the Food Security Conference held at the National School of Public Policy in Lahore, Federal Minister for Planning, Prof Ahsan Iqbal, addressed the urgent economic challenges facing Pakistan. He emphasized the critical role of food security in national development and highlighted the profound impact of climate change on traditional agricultural practices.

The Federal Minister pointed out that climate change has significantly disrupted Pakistan's #agricultural_sector, with the devastating #2022floods inflicting a $30 billion loss on the economy. Pakistan, a nation that ranks among the top ten producers of agricultural commodities globally, faces the challenge of low productivity rates. Minister Ahsan Iqbal stressed the need to focus on increasing domestic productivity, improving product quality, and fostering innovation across all agriculture sectors.

He further underscored that water scarcity remains a significant threat to Pakistan’s food security. As a nation already vulnerable to climate change, addressing water management is imperative to sustaining future agricultural growth and food supply. "Food security is the main pillar of national security and development," Prof Iqbal emphasized.

In his speech, Minister Ahsan Iqbal revealed that the Ministry of Planning is finalizing Pakistan's Five-Year Development Plan (2024-29) under the 5Es framework. A significant focus of this plan will be on transforming the agricultural sector by adopting modern agricultural practices and addressing the impact of climate change.

On the directive of the Prime Minister, 1,000 agricultural experts will be sent to China for hands-on training in modern agricultural methods. This initiative will expose them to new seeds, advanced technologies, and innovative farming techniques. The minister expressed optimism that these efforts will help Pakistan shift towards a more sustainable and modern agricultural system, better equipped to face the challenges of the future.

Discussing Pakistan’s economic outlook, the minister highlighted the ongoing crisis, exacerbated by the changes introduced in 2018. He pointed out that half of the national budget is currently allocated to debt repayment, which restricts resources available for development projects.

Population growth, which had been decreasing until 2017, has started to rise again, presenting another significant challenge. Minister Ahsan Iqbal warned that the country is sitting on a “population growth bomb” and urged the need for strategic planning to address the growing demands of an expanding population.

Drawing inspiration from past successes, Minister Ahsan Iqbal reminded the audience of Pakistan’s remarkable achievement in developing its nuclear program. He highlighted that this success was driven by mission alignment, stable leadership, meritocracy, and investment in human resource development. He expressed confidence that with the same approach, Pakistan could achieve economic success and overcome its current challenges.

Using the example of athlete Arshad Nadeem’s recent gold medal victory, the minister called him a “beacon for the entire nation,” symbolizing the potential and resilience of Pakistanis. He urged the country to leverage its knowledge and resources, moving beyond mere reports to implementation and tangible results.

Reflecting on past development initiatives like Vision 2010 and Vision 2025, Minister Ahsan Iqbal lamented that despite their potential, political instability derailed these plans. At this critical juncture, he stressed the need for the nation to collectively reflect on how to move forward.

"For the development of the country, stability and continuity of policies with peace are indispensable," he said, emphasizing that there is no longer any room for error, confusion, or mischief.

In conclusion, Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s speech at the Food Security Conference called for a renewed national effort towards economic stability, agricultural reform, and food security in the face of climate change.