ISLAMABAD
\nMinister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday urged Pakistan\u2019s youth to steer the country towards a new era of stability, creativity and national reconstruction, saying the nation was \u201cready to take its fourth historic flight.\u201d
\nAddressing the inaugural session of Uraan Pakistan National Debate\u20132025, he said the initiative aimed to nurture intellectual leadership, promote moral and civic awareness, and equip young people with the knowledge required to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving technological era.
\nThe minister said Pakistan possessed immense natural and human resources, including a hardworking population, fertile land, rich mineral wealth and a digitally connected society. \u201cWe must recognise that despite enormous blessings and significant achievements, our pace of development has lagged behind other nations that once trailed us,\u201d he added.
\nRecalling Pakistan\u2019s early struggles, Ahsan Iqbal said the country began its journey with extreme scarcity\u2013even lacking basic office supplies\u2013yet went on to emerge as the world\u2019s seventh nuclear power, build modern fighter jets and develop a diverse industrial base. The expansion from only a few universities to nearly 250 institutions today, he said, demonstrated the nation\u2019s capacity for progress.
\nHe, however, said inconsistent policies and political disruptions had repeatedly halted long-term development plans. Vision 2010 and Vision 2025, he said, were both designed to place Pakistan among the world\u2019s leading economies, but derailed due to instability and abrupt policy discontinuity. \u201cSuccessful countries advance by choosing peace, stability, continuity of policy and sustained reforms,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday urged Pakistan\u2019s youth to steer the country towards a new era of stability, creativity and national reconstruction, saying the nation was \u201cready to take its fourth historic flight.\u201d Addressing the inaugural session of Uraan Pakistan National Debate\u20132025, he said the initiative aimed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":503175,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-516724","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n