MINISTER AHSAN IQBAL, PLANNING COMMISSION Islamabad – 30th November, 2022

The ability of a country to create wealth is significant. How does it distribute its resources and how much competent they are. These factors define the stature of a country whether its a minarchy, democracy, or autocracy. Everyone is competing for the mentioned three factors. It is sadly said that we lag in this regard.

Those present here are economic journalists. Among the Pakistani politicians, I jave gotten the chance to make a difference in planning which many others have not gotten. We gave vision 2010 and vision 2025 but everytime political instability hindered our success.

If we do not diagnose properly, we would not be able to treat effectively. Today, Pakistan is not lagging because we are worse than Bangladesh or India or thatwe are more corrupt than them and less skillful in administration. The socioeconomic conditions are same, it is the stability and continuation of policies that has created the difference. In 1991, when we tried at liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of economy, India and Bangladesh followed same patterns but stability helped them excel and exceed. Thus, we should understand our problems and through all of you I want to disseminate this message that we have to become an exporting nation. The countries have excelled due to export led growth.

In 75 years, whenever we tried to grow, boosted demand and ability to consume dollars we could not increase the ability to produce dollars. Our future is conditional on the fact that we increase our exports from 32 billion dollars to 100 billion dollars in either 5 years or 10 years. Doing it in 5 years would help us excel but doing it in a decade would only worsen the problems. Thus, growth and dollar consumption should be equated with the production of dollars. Balance of payment crisis, emergency breaks, and economic slowdown drags us back to the first step. Hence, we must make a concerted effort with the unity of mind to boost the economy, agriculture, industry, services, and every youth in Pakistan to increase oyr exports.  This would create harmonious economic success. Economic journalism would work as the backbone to inform people of the contemporary imperatives of globalization, regionalism and economically stable regimes. How our farmers and businessmen can work in harmony with the international processes. This what decides the future of our country. But the debates and national narratives in our country are such that they would not benefit us even a cent in terms of our future. We must set an agenda to guide our economic direction. Economic journalism can help our people make viable choices. Muhammad Ziauddin had effectively fulfilled the roles of economic journalism. All of us are here till this late in the love of Muhammad Ziauddin. In my opinion, every post is temporal but ones legacy should live one. What legacy a person leaves behind after leaving a post or dying is what counts. We all here are witnesses that Ziauddin were an excellent human being, an efficient journalist and he fulfilled all his duties in such a manner that they would become the reason for his salvation.

When I was given the post of President for National Committee for Awards, I made a humble contribution by nominating Journalist Muhammad Ziauddin for the award of Sitara-e-imtiaz. It is a recognition of his journalistic services that thus award would be presented to him on 14th of August.