ISLAMABAD, Friday, July 25, 2025 : Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, on Friday called for renewed and robust collaboration with the World Bank to address Pakistan\u2019s evolving economic and developmental challenges. He made the remarks during a meeting with Ousmane Dione, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.<\/p>\n
Commending the minister\u2019s contributions to Pakistan\u2019s economic planning, the World Bank VP appreciated Ahsan Iqbal\u2019s role in steering key reforms and fostering a development-focused agenda.<\/p>\n
The minister underscored the need to revitalize the existing partnership between the Planning Ministry and the World Bank, stressing that fresh momentum was required to confront pressing national priorities such as economic transformation, climate resilience, and water security.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the global shift from industrial to technology-driven economies, Ahsan Iqbal advocated for an export-led development model as Pakistan\u2019s strategic pathway forward. \u201cOur goal is to boost exports from $32 billion to $100 billion,\u201d he said, citing growing investor confidence reflected in the Pakistan Stock Exchange crossing 130,000 points.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
He pointed to recent economic reforms and tough policy decisions that helped tame inflation and improve key social indicators, including access to higher education and women\u2019s growing role in national development.<\/p>\n
Labeling child stunting as a \u201cserious national concern,\u201d the minister said the government had launched targeted initiatives to combat malnutrition and improve early childhood health outcomes.<\/p>\n
On the climate front, he urged the World Bank to expand its role in supporting climate adaptation strategies, particularly for vulnerable regions like those devastated by Pakistan\u2019s 2022 floods. \u201cClimate change is no longer a future threat \u2014 it’s a present reality for developing nations,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n
Iqbal also raised alarm over India\u2019s alleged violations of the Indus Waters Treaty, warning that \u201cweaponizing water\u201d could destabilize regional peace and spark a broader global food and water crisis. He called on the international community, including the World Bank, to ensure compliance with international water agreements and promote equitable resource sharing.<\/p>\n
Briefing the delegation on the government\u2019s \u201c5Es\u201d framework \u2014 focusing on Exports, Equity, Empowerment, Environment, and Energy \u2014 the minister presented it as a roadmap to revitalize Pakistan\u2019s economy and promote inclusive growth.<\/p>\n
He reaffirmed Pakistan\u2019s commitment to sustainable development and urged the World Bank to continue its support across strategic sectors, expressing confidence that stronger cooperation would help realize Pakistan\u2019s long-term development vision.<\/p>\n
The meeting concluded with a mutual understanding to deepen institutional linkages and explore innovative pathways for joint action in economic transformation, climate resilience, and social uplift.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, Friday, July 25, 2025 : Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, on Friday called for renewed and robust collaboration with the World Bank to address Pakistan\u2019s evolving economic and developmental challenges. He made the remarks during a meeting with Ousmane Dione, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6594"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6594\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}