KARACHI: Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal on Monday announced that work on the Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway would commence this year and be completed within the next three years.

Speaking at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and later during a visit to the Pakistan Business Council (PBC), he said that the PML-N government had initiated the bidding process for the project in 2018, but progress was halted by the PTI government, leading to significant delays.

He stressed that the country now needs an “economic long march” instead of political ones. Iqbal noted that remittances could be increased from $30 billion to $50 billion over the next few years. He pointed out that the world is now chasing mineral resources — something Pakistan possesses in abundance — and highlighted the revival of projects such as Reko Diq.

He also cited the reduction of the policy rate from 22 per cent to 12 per cent and inflation from 38 per cent to 9.0 per cent as key achievements.Regarding the K-IV water project, he said there were no obstacles from the federal government, but water supply could not begin until the downstream infrastructure was completed.

Calling the KCCI the largest in Pakistan, he praised its crucial role in the country’s economic development. He urged business leaders to become co-pilots in ‘Uraan Pakistan’ — the national drive for economic uplift.

He expressed disappointment at how some Pakistanis portray the country negatively on global platforms, despite its ideological foundation and achievements in industry, agriculture and healthcare. Reflecting on the 2018 elections, he remarked that inexperienced individuals were brought to power, resulting in setbacks. He claimed that relations with China were strained during that period, causing Chinese investors to look elsewhere. He urged all Pakistanis to take responsibility for the country’s stability and development.

Highlighting the importance of exports, Iqbal said that true VIPs in Pakistan are those who earn foreign exchange. He encouraged a push for cottage industry exports from home and urged every exporter to go global with product samples within the coming year.

He pointed out the contradiction of Pakistan being an agricultural country while still importing $10 billion worth of agricultural goods annually. He stressed the need to focus on exports in industry, services, IT, and mining. He warned that future conflicts would be fought over minerals and that Balochistan, being mineral-rich, is already targeted by hostile elements.Iqbal emphasised the use of modern technology in production and noted that interest rates had dropped from 22 per cent to 12 per cent within a year.

Proposing the creation of a ‘Uraan Pakistan Business Council’, he said many issues were not as serious as they seemed and simply required attention. Karachi, he said, is the runway for Uraan Pakistan. He called for peace, stability, and consistent policies to steer the country forward while learning from past mistakes.

Speaking to the media during his visit to the Pakistan Business Council (PBC), he stressed the importance of women’s participation in both the corporate and private sectors.He said stalled projects were being revived through public-private partnerships and announced that a dedicated cell was being established in the Ministry of Planning to work on national goals through to 2035.

He also announced that the federal government had allocated Rs5 billion for Karachi’s SITE area, while the K-IV project is a federal initiative worth Rs125 billion.Addressing water-related concerns, he dismissed allegations that Punjab was stealing Sindh’s water, calling such claims false and politically motivated. He said both the PPP and PML-N are part of the current government, and only decisions in the national interest are being taken. He held nationalist elements responsible for fuelling the controversy and said the PPP must respond to it.

Iqbal stressed that food security is a collective responsibility and cautioned against politicising water and food issues, warning that such actions could have grave consequences. He assured that the federal government would never take controversial steps and would protect the rights of all provinces.

He recalled that just 10 days before the no-confidence motion in April 2022, the country was on the brink of default, but the situation was brought under control.He also said that a committee led by the finance minister had been formed to expedite the resolution of refund-related issues.