Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday chaired a meeting on the Kachhi Canal project, which would irrigate 713,000 acres of land in Balochistan.
The meeting was attended among others by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, provincial ministers and officials via video link, according to a news release.
The Member Planning Infrastructure briefed the meeting attendees on the Kachhi Canal project. Ahsan Iqbal directed experts to submit workable solutions for carrying 400-500 cusecs of water from the canal within two months.
He emphasized the importance of restoring the canal and reviving the 500 cusecs of water before developing a strategy to address future flood situations. The minister stressed that providing water to the local population was a top priority for the government.
He noted that a cut of Rs 300 billion had been made in the development budget, and solutions must be found within the limited available resources.
Ahsan Iqbal lauded the Punjab Urban Canal model, suggesting it be adopted for its durability.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti informed the meeting that the 2022 floods had severely affected the province’s urban canal system, and the cultivation in the command area was on the halt due to the closure of the Kachhi Canal.
He expressed the optimism that under the Planning Minister’s supervision, water would soon be restored to the canal, alongside the formulation of a comprehensive plan to address future challenges and provide the best possible facilities to the people of Balochistan. A delegation of 10 Pakistani students enrolled in the MBA program at Harvard University met with Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday.
The students, who have experience working with top companies in Pakistan and abroad, were briefed on the ministry’s affairs by Member Social Sector Rafiullah Kakar. He informed the students that the ministry was a key center for all development-related planning and initiatives in the country.
The minister asked the students that they were the future stars of Pakistan, and universities like Harvard were always on the lookout for future leaders. He said that the doors of the public sector in Pakistan were always open to young people like them.
Ahsan Iqbal shared his own political journey, from his time at the University of Pennsylvania’s Business School in 1983 to his election as a member of the National Assembly in 1993.
He highlighted key policies he had been involved in, including the first IT policy in 1998, the Overseas Scholarship Scheme, and the launch of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project in 2013.
The minister stressed that stability and continuity in policies are crucial for the country’s development, citing the need for a five-year development plan under the 5Es framework.
He acknowledged the current economic challenges facing the country, including a debt crisis, but expressed optimism about Pakistan’s potential, saying: “We have all the knowledge, but it’s limited to reports; now we need to bridge the gap between knowledge and action.”
The minister emphasized that the future of the country was in the hands of young people, and that they must work together to bring Pakistan back into the race for development.
