Members of the Political Council will support the government in financial matters: Iqbal – Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has said that the members of the Political Council will play a key role in the country’s development process and help the government in steering the country towards economic stability.

The Minister expressed these views while chairing the first meeting of the Policy Board of the Planning Commission on Friday. The meeting was attended by the Planning Secretary, representatives of major private sector organisations, corporate leaders and experts from various fields.

Iqbal stressed that the members of the Political Council will support the government in monitoring the financial matters and auditing the Planning Commission.

He added that the board members will play a key role in developing the strategic framework and preparing short-term, medium-term and long-term plans. The Federal Minister emphasized that the establishment of the Policy Board is an important milestone and will help to achieve the sustainable development goals.

Iqbal said the government has set up a Policy Council to ensure implementation of the 5Es Framework, the 13th Five-Year Plan and Vision 2030. The framework prioritises key sectors such as exports, digital development, environmental sustainability, energy and equality. He mentioned that the experiences and recommendations of the Policy Council members will also help in formulating the national budget, ensuring that the process becomes more transparent and reliable.

Iqbal urged the board members to openly share their views to help improve the functions of the Planning Commission. He stressed that the inclusion of members of the Policy Council would transform the Planning Commission into a comprehensive think tank, further accelerating Pakistan’s development process. He reiterated that the government welcomes suggestions from private sector experts and will integrate their input into national development plans.

During the meeting, Federal Minister Iqbal said that the objective of setting up the Policy Board is to increase transparency and improve the country’s economic planning process with the help of private sector and corporate leaders. He stressed that the participation of the private sector will significantly improve the efficiency of the Planning Commission, contributing to the stabilization of Pakistan’s economy.

While concluding the meeting, Federal Minister Iqbal expressed that considering the current economic situation of Pakistan, there is an urgent need for significant investment and increase in exports in various sectors. He said that the government is committed to transforming Pakistan into a trillion dollar economy by 2035 with effective implementation of 5E Framework. He called upon private organizations, civil society and experts to work together to steer the nation towards stability and growth.

During the first meeting of the Policy Council, stakeholders and experts from the private sector expressed their views and pledged their full support for the government’s initiatives.