ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday directed authorities concerned to formulate an integrated transport plan for roads, railways, and shipping to complement and integrate all transport sectors.
The Federal Minister expressed these views while chairing 2nd meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure in Islamabad.
The meeting was attended by the authorities of Ministry of Communication, Railway, Ports and Shipping, National Highway Authority (NHA) and Civil Aviation.
The Minister directed officials to ensure that all transport projects should be completed within the prescribed timelines and suggested to hold cabinet committee meeting on infrastructure in every month for smooth working and coordination.
He said chief ministers showed their confidence in the progress of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects at CPEC summit held on August, 29 but some elements and anti-CPEC forces are misguiding people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Minister directed ministries to develop clear roadmap with timelines of completion of all undergoing projects and new initiatives undertaken.
During the meeting, he stressed the need to ensure holding of meeting of joint working group on transport before 6th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) which is agreed to be held in the last week of November this week.
The National Highway Authority (NHA) chairman informed the meeting that he recently visited most of the projects being constructed under the CPEC to determine appropriate deliverables on stipulated time.
Meanwhile, addressing participants of National Management Course (NMC), minister said that civil servants have to play a key role to keep the growth momentum after country achieved macroeconomic stabilization due to the hard work of last three years.
For achieving further economic growth, we need to become a competitive economy by excelling in productivity, quality and innovation, he added.
He said, “We as a nation need to think positively and equip ourself with self-belief without which the image of our country cannot be mended.”
Ahsan Iqbal further added that Pakistan of 2016 is much better than it was in 2013.
Improvement of indicators in social, economic, security and energy sector provide significant evidence on stability in these sectors and better tomorrow.
Federal Minister said that government of Pakistan was committed to bring Pakistan among top 25 economies of the world by 2025.
He said that international media was labelling Pakistan as the dangerous country and safe havens for terrorism but today the same media organizations and the world are terming Pakistan as the investment destination and an emerging economy.
He said that the 20th century had belonged to political ideologies but today is the era of political economy, economic stability and inclusive growth.
