Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday vowed that Pakistan would become an economic power with the same determination with which it achieved nuclear capability.
\nAddressing a ceremony to commemorate Youm-e-Takbeer, he called for greater national unity and resolve to transform Pakistan into an economic power, just as it became a nuclear power 27 years ago.
\nExtending congratulations to the nation, Ahsan Iqbal highlighted the significance of May 28, 1998, when the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, backed by the unified will of the Pakistani people, conducted nuclear tests in response to India\u2019s provocations, asserting the country\u2019s strategic independence.
\n\u201cThat historic decision proved that when we stand united, no power on Earth can stop us,\u201d he said.
\nHad Nawaz Sharif not made that decision at the time, the minister said, Pakistan would not be standing with its head held high today.
\nReferring to the May 6-7, 2025 incident of Indian aggression, he praised Pakistan\u2019s decisive military response, saying that the downing of six Indian aircraft sent a strong global message about the strength of Pakistan\u2019s air force. \u201cUnder the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), our armed forces responded in such a way that even Washington heard the echoes,\u201d he added.
\nHe said Youm-e-Takbeer was not only a commemoration of nuclear tests but a turning point in regional history. \u201cWe achieved nuclear capability despite international pressure; now is the time to become an economic force with the same determination.\u201d
\nAhsan Iqbal stressed that economic strength was as vital as military defence. \u201cNations survive and thrive not only on the battlefield but in laboratories, universities and industries,\u201d he remarked, calling for a national focus on modern technology, exports and productivity.
\nAddressing the challenges in education, he pointed out that nearly 25 million Pakistani children were out of school, calling it a collective failure.
\nHe vowed to raise the literacy rate to 90 per cent and higher education enrollment from the current 13 per cent to 40 per cent, noting that India stood at 30 per cent and China at 50 per cent.
\nHe also emphasized digital inclusion as a pillar of future growth, asserting that every citizen from Balochistan to Gilgit-Baltistan must be connected in the digital economy.
\nSpeaking about the \u201cUraan Pakistan\u201d program, Ahsan Iqbal highlighted Rs54 billion worth of new development projects, including a national campaign to eliminate hepatitis.
\nHe said Pakistan\u2019s low tax-to-GDP ratio of 10.5 per cent and said this must improve if development goals were to be achieved. \u201cWe must either pay taxes or stop tax evasion. Every citizen must become an economic soldier,\u201d he declared.
\nLooking ahead to 2047, the centenary of Pakistan\u2019s independence, Ahsan Iqbal laid out an ambitious national goal surpassing India economically. \u201cWe led the region economically for 50 years, but political instability pulled us back. It\u2019s time to reclaim our lost standing.\u201d
\nThe minister praised the sacrifices of scientists, engineers and the armed forces for successfully securing the country\u2019s defense and called on the nation that \u201cIf Pakistan is to stand tall in history, every citizen must play their part.\u201d
\nHe paid tribute to Nawaz Sharif for his historic leadership in 1998, saying \u201cUnder his leadership, Pakistan became an unassailable nuclear power. Now, with the same spirit, we must win on the economic front.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday vowed that Pakistan would become an economic power with the same determination with which it achieved nuclear capability. Addressing a ceremony to commemorate Youm-e-Takbeer, he called for greater national unity and resolve to transform Pakistan into an economic power, just as it …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":81716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81701"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81720,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81701\/revisions\/81720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}