ISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday assured international donors as well as foreign and local construction industries that it will provide alternate dispute resolution mechanism in development projects for their timely completion.

“The government will provide alternate dispute resolution mechanism for timely completion of every project in the future,” said Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal while speaking at a three-day international summit of consulting engineers, organised by Association of Consulting Engineers Pakistan (ACEP).

The minister said the government would fulfill every legitimate demand of the investors.

He said, at present, the development trajectory depended upon sustainable growth, eco-friendly practices and cost-effective solutions.

The minister said the Uraan Pakistan program was mainly launched for public-private partnership, could not become a true success without the government providing level playing field and ensuring transparency in the whole mechanism.

The ACEP, in collaboration with International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) is holding first ever two-day international Asia Pacific Conference on innovation, transparency and excellence in engineering practices here from July 15-17.

The event was attended by top officials of leading international development institutions, with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank serving as event partners and the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) as the official Tourism Partner.

Ahsan Iqbal assured the audience that the government would soon introduce necessary legal framework for dispute resolution and swift conclusion of court cases in developmental projects.

He lauded the role of FIDIC and appreciated ACEP for hosting the event and inviting leading international engineering firms to Pakistan.

The event focused on the role of engineering firms in the infrastructural development in Pakistan. It is also providing for much-needed recommendations to the government to speed up the process of development in the country.

The top engineering firms from all over the world are participating in the event which would continue for next two days.

Speaking on the occasion, President of Association of Consulting Engineers Pakistan, Waseem Asghar, urged the government to enact laws to establish engineering courts in the country.

He said if any infrastructural development project went under litigation, its cost increased manifold. He said the establishment of special courts could save billions of dollars in terms of escalation.

Waseem pledged the ACEP would cooperate with the government how to enact and implement those laws.

The event was also addressed by President FIDIC, Ms Catherine Karakatsanis, MD PTDC, Aftabur Rehman Rana, Vice President FIDIC, Widhoon Chiamchittrong.

The conference is also providing an opportunity to the international and national leaders in infrastructure, policy-making, and consultancy to discuss innovation, transparency, and excellence in engineering practice.

The conference serves as a vital platform to promote dialogue, innovation and cross-border collaboration in support of transparent and efficient project implementation. The event welcomed distinguished speakers and participants from across Asia, Europe, North and South America, and the Middle East.

Key objectives of the conference are: Encouraging knowledge sharing and the exchange of technical insights, exploring innovative approaches to project planning, procurement and contract management, emphasizing the role of dispute resolution, governance and risk mitigation, promoting international collaboration and long-term professional partnerships.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2025