KARACHI, Jun 26 (APP): Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, on Monday, stressed all the sectors of the economy to work in unison as ‘team Pakistan’ for achieving economic growth and export expansion.
The minister, in a media interaction during the visit of Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Ltd here, said that the current economic situation of the country requires every field of life and sector of the economy to play a proactive role in ensuring sustainable economic growth and expansion of GDP.
Ahsan Iqbal said that all the democratic forces of Pakistan while putting their political ideologies, manifestos and interests as well as differences aside, joined hands just for the sake of the security and solidarity of the country.
“There is a national government in Pakistan and all the allied parties believe that the national interests of Pakistan were more important than their political motives and it was the time to build up a consensus and demonstrate unity to steer the nation on the path of sustainable development, prosperity and glory,” he stated.
Political stability is vital for economic development while uncertainty tarnishes the efforts for growth, he opined and reiterated that the country needed fast-track growth in GDP, tax to GDP ratio, exports and industrial production and for the achievement of the growth objectives it was imperative to improve governance, through consensus-based political, economic and administrative reforms.
Ahsan Iqbal said that a political party that promoted politics of hatred in the country and tried to create mayhem had lost public support after the sad incidents of May 9 when monuments of national heroes were desecrated, the house of Quaid-e-Azam was attacked.
Pakistan is bestowed with an immense workforce having unmatched skills, vast mineral resources and remarkable capabilities in IT and other sectors to achieve the target of increasing its exports of commodities and services to $100 billion within a decade, he noted and urged the trade and industrial sector to attach topmost priority to expansion of exports and work with dedication to achieve the objective.
The federal minister said that Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Ltd is a significant entity of the country’s engineering sector that is playing a remarkable role in shipbuilding and maritime engineering.
The PML-N, while realizing the significance of naval force, started 2 important projects during its previous tenure and those projects have played a pivotal role in strengthening Pakistan’s Naval force.
The project aimed at modernising the shipyard through the installation of heavy-duty cranes and other state-of-the-art equipment, ship lifting and transfer facilities and other innovative measures has enhanced the capabilities of the shipyard, he said adding that now the shipyard was not only capable of meeting the country’s own requirements but it might offer boat and shipbuilding and repair services to other countries of the region.
Managing Director Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Ltd Rear Admiral Salman Ilyas and other senior officers of the shipyard were also present at the occasion.
Earlier, the federal minister inspected facilities received a briefing about the Karachi Shipyard, and also inaugurated a crane system at the shipyard.
