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LAHORE: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal claims that Pakistan will be among top 25 economies of the world by 2025.
“Pakistan is a successful emerging state which can be developed economically through self-belief and defeating the negativity,” he said while addressing an alumni reunion at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) here on Saturday.
He said the country needed seven to eight percent transformational growth in the next 10 years to mobilise resources for social uplift of the backward areas and create jobs for growing population.
He said the Vision-2025 and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would help realise the dream of economically developed Pakistan.
Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2016
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Comments (63) Closed
Jan 03, 2016 08:45am
The number 99 is above 100 for sure ....
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Jan 03, 2016 08:52am
Need to think beyond CPEC. FDI should come from whole world.
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Jan 03, 2016 08:52am
We will, inshahAllah.
Dil Dil Pakistan, citizens get back to work, enough talking.
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Jan 03, 2016 08:53am
Hmmm i dont think so rethink over it my friend 2025 is not that far and all your developmental work is bound to lahore only
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Jan 03, 2016 09:03am
Yes. in your dreams. what a sick minded politicians.
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Jan 03, 2016 09:03am
CEPC-Why keep all eggs in 1 basket?what if it dosnt materialize? What is plan B?
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Jan 03, 2016 09:14am
Any other plan than cpec.whole progress is dependent on how much China spend?
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Jan 03, 2016 09:15am
In PMLN's world, top economy means having biggest amount of circular debts..We remember Dar saying 'Got highest reserves of money' after getting IMF's tranche..
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Jan 03, 2016 09:18am
2025 long wait Pakistan is already top economy the writing is black and white
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Jan 03, 2016 09:19am
Is it April 1 already?
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Jan 03, 2016 09:25am
Day dreaming is on.
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Jan 03, 2016 09:29am
CPEC is worth $ 40 billion in debt . Most of the other borrowed debt will be due in 5-6 years and oil won't be this cheap . Don't understand how the economy won't degrade further given the current spending and borrowing spree .
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Jan 03, 2016 09:35am
Haaah! Please spare us this reading cruelty. Mr. Ahsan Iqbal's vocals are limited to CPEC and nondescript speeches and talks.
Infrastructure, employment, health-education-social development, domestic generation of funds, no overseas BEGGING for loans, will set us in the right direction. AND not to be forgotten, fewer political and religious parties and TRANSPARENCY. Salams
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Jan 03, 2016 09:46am
Why not add in "leap tall buildings in a single bound" - has as much credibility as talking about quadrupling growth rates when Pakistan textile and agriculture industries are actually shrinking.
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Jan 03, 2016 09:54am
@Daanish :& you have time to read this news and comment!!.
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Jan 03, 2016 10:14am
Roads construction cant make a country into top 20 nor the loans from IMF. Concentrate on the real issues and fix them first. Dont let this nation into a fool's paradise.
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Jan 03, 2016 10:23am
Yeah, in year 2000, it was said that Pakistan will be in top 20 economy in 2015.....
now in 2016, they are saying pak will be in top 25 economies in 2025.....
then in 2025, they will say something to fool us again.....
God save this country
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Jan 03, 2016 10:26am
Ohh please you can't even fix load shedding now you expect ppl to believe you will fix the whole economy? Please stop its no longer funny, now its insulting.
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Jan 03, 2016 10:27am
@Irfan Plan B is to blame Musharraf
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Jan 03, 2016 10:39am
@Canada Not only Musharraf, they got Dharna also as an excuse, thats why they r making big claims..
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Jan 03, 2016 10:54am
Soo much depended on CPEC...
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Jan 03, 2016 11:03am
From the thug's mouth come another lie.
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Jan 03, 2016 11:03am
I can only believe this if Evident Milestones are set and Progress is Made on them. Otherwise its just a sweeping statement.
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Jan 03, 2016 11:18am
What a joke!!!
our export, economy is declining rapidly and this man serving"sabz bagh"....
even Bangladesh is doing very well than pak....i request you
please fix the load shedding, clean water, health, security and other basic issues rather than making unrealistic claims
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Jan 03, 2016 11:24am
Good. Then Pakistan can build 500,000 low income houses.
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Jan 03, 2016 11:28am
Not possible. Seriously Pakistan is running on basic fundamentals. Its GDP is lower then most of the multinational companies. Its defense budget is very heavy. 80% of its population lives on basics. None of the major cities have any industrial townships. Investment in Pakistan is even lower then Bangladesh, which is supposedly south Asia's basket case.
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Jan 03, 2016 11:31am
@Irfan ..... Plan B is reduce the population.
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Jan 03, 2016 11:34am
@Nadeem .... If Pakistan had no leaders at all people would be eating each other's livers. Elect better leaders.
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Jan 03, 2016 11:35am
@Aub .... It is dependent on what Pakistan can spend.
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Jan 03, 2016 11:38am
@N K Ali ..... Funny thing about loans. They must be paid back.
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Jan 03, 2016 11:40am
@Naveed .... After 2005 I was told on Facebook a hundred times that Pakistan would be a superpower in 2040. 25 more years.
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Jan 03, 2016 11:43am
@Sam .... Pakistan is walking a tightrope and it is a long way to fall.
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Jan 03, 2016 11:45am
US, UK, Japan, Germany, all took decades to become what they are. Surely, he has a magic wand.
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Jan 03, 2016 12:13pm
Dream on...., this is what we heard when the vision 2020 was inaugurated. Yet today is 2016 and the country is still mired in poverty, corruption and bad governance.
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Jan 03, 2016 12:25pm
Is he Sober?
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Jan 03, 2016 01:27pm
Why everyone is talking about CPEC which is giving more money to Chinese than Pakistan. For sure the ploiticias will be among the top 100 richest in the world in another 5 years
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Jan 03, 2016 01:29pm
He is the PRO of the current government.He is performing his job marvellously and keeping the people merry go around on fake promises.Wake up Punjab and get rid off the corrupt mafia
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Jan 03, 2016 01:29pm
All the best to Pakistan. But only one thing should be kept in mind that, unless pakistan takes action on those terrorists who indulge in terrorism against india and afghanistan, it cannot attain peace which is the major ingredient for a growth in economy. Disturbing others whether by state actors or non-state actors and expecting the victim countrie that they will not retaliate is a wishful thinking but will not materialise. SO, do not trounble others to reach a higher growth rate. All the best again.
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Jan 03, 2016 01:36pm
LAHORE: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal claims that Pakistan will be among top 25 economies of the world by 2025.
Agree.... Purchase Parity not Nominal basis. Right now it is #24(2014 - World Bank Purchase Power Parity). With the speed the economy is being mismanaged, #25 is around the corner (PPP Basis). Mr Iqbal, not even in your dreams, you can accomplish that with current policies. A serious blow to your corrupt, disconnected and disintegrated govt machinery may be the only way to get #25 on nominal basis.
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Jan 03, 2016 01:37pm
Not only possible but also likely. Most South Asians are hard workers (as shown by their progress in the West) and once they set their eyes beyond K and on progress, everything is possible. Yes, CPEC can play an important role but even more important could be a united trade front by Pak, India and Bangla for trade agreements with EU, USA, Russia and China. They will all want to trade with 1.6B consumers determined to raise themselves by their foot straps. What a market for others!
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Jan 03, 2016 01:39pm
Congratulations!!!!
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Jan 03, 2016 02:34pm
This dude talks too much!
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Jan 03, 2016 02:38pm
Ameen.
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Jan 03, 2016 03:10pm
Indian economy which is the Fastest Growing Economy in the world and Receiver of the Highest FDI in the world, not expected to become developed country for next 30 years.. Assuming India continues with 8%+ growth rate for next 30 years..
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Jan 03, 2016 03:46pm
Pakistan already ranked 26th in the world in purchasing power parity in economy. In nominal GDP it ranks lower at 44th place.
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Jan 03, 2016 03:52pm
I wish this happens as anything can happen anytime.
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Jan 03, 2016 04:27pm
@Observer they just talk and boast. That's what they are good at. Practically zero
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Jan 03, 2016 06:03pm
Education precedes Greatness
Seeding precedes Harvest
Planting precedes fruit by many years.
This is the Law of Nature.
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Jan 03, 2016 06:08pm
I agree with the minister 100 %...the ones who are passing negative remarks are
non believers and losers...they don't believe in anything...what Pakistan need
simultaneously are good economists...and plans for young middle class entrepreneurs...because these are the backbone of any economy... nothing in the world will be able to stop this God sent gift...the good results will start appearing in the next four to fiveyears...Inshahallah
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Jan 03, 2016 08:16pm
Day dreaming. without controlling population and corruption, without spending pm education,we can all have day dreams. It costs nothing to have delusions.
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Jan 03, 2016 08:53pm
Instead of looking for FDI outside we need to stop our FDI in Swiss banks, American ranches and Gulf real-estate.
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Jan 03, 2016 09:57pm
It is just a feel good statement by the minister.
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Jan 03, 2016 10:54pm
Instead of depending on one country for trade, you guys need to diversify!
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Jan 04, 2016 12:45am
No way, unless police in Punjab and Sindh is reformed and at least 4 % of the budget is used on education, we can't even qualify for being among top 25. Making bridges, roads and running city trains and buses won't even change a dot in this book when the basic needs like water, sewerage, health and education are lacking. Energy tariffs for industry and agriculture should be cut to half and be financed by going after the theft og energy and taxes, again a question of reform in police a la KPK. Had this government used all this money on building a dam instead of 3-4 metro and the orange train, we could have been on a trail to 6 % growth.
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Jan 04, 2016 12:57am
Anther joke with Pakistani people. How much has the current Govt achieved so far to reach that goal? This is another election stunt as this Govt has given nothing to the people yet. They want to show they are working so hard and would deliver the rest (as ususal) during their next tenure while filling their own bank accounts to the maximum in the mean time.
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Jan 04, 2016 12:58am
Open up trade with India and both should abolish custom duties on each others goods.
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Jan 04, 2016 01:08am
We have heared such stories since the 1950s. We will become this and we will become that. No government,civilian or military, have delivered. Complete failure. Numbers tells us that Pakistan has progressed more under military rule, but that too not enough, and military rule is no option at all.
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Jan 04, 2016 01:33am
Too much ambitious on a single Chinese funded project!!? Not even China depends on only one country to becomin world power!
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Jan 04, 2016 02:27am
Had a chance to verify projections by three expert sources, namely, Price Waterhouse, HSBC and the IMF. I am not sure where the minister is getting his numbers from. Realistically, it is a bridge too far. Nothing wrong in setting goals. But the minister is mostly pulling wool over the gullible public. Like one of the comments claims that Pakistan is already there! Factually, the Pakistani economy ranks 39h out of 189 countries. Reality check is a good antidote to lies from politicians.
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Jan 04, 2016 03:48am
Life is like a ladder....
One rung at a time....Dr Watson.....one rung at a time.
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Jan 04, 2016 04:57am
Mr. Ahsan Iqbal has been making such statements ever since he became a PMLn's politicians. What we have seen is that in the next election, PMLn disappears along with Ahsan Iqbal and his plans. What a waste of time!
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Jan 04, 2016 06:48am
It will be good if they can do so but seems like there is a catch here that it will be possible only if we keep PMLN in power for next 10 years :) - The way Ishaq Dar is getting loans, it doesn't look like that Pak will be able to clear all debts by 2025 - http://www.dawn.com/news/1230164/govt-to-borrow-rs19-trillion-in-first-quarter
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Jan 04, 2016 08:45am
Please wake me up, when it is. Thanks.
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