Ahsan Asks People To Reject Propaganda Of Anti-CPEC Elements

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd May, 2017 ) : Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, Ahsan Iqbal Monday asked the people to reject the propaganda of anti China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) elements, saying that such elements were creating confusion among the people to halt the rapidly growing development process of the country.

"The CPEC is a special gift of God given to us through our time tested friend China, which would give a boost to the country's economic development ", Ahsan Iqbal talking to media after inaugurating Centre of Excellence Pakistan Planning and Management Institute (PPMI) said.

He said the anti-CPEC elements had embarked upon foreign funded agenda to sabotage progress on the mega project. He said China was a peaceful country who had no other agenda but to extend economic activities throughout the region.

He said Chinese investment in the country would help enhance industrialization in the country and consequently huge number of job opportunities would be created for youth of the country. To a question, the minister said in the upcoming budget the government had increased the budget of Higher Education Commission, and health and infrastructure sectors significantly to facilitate especially the poor segment of the society.

He said the Federal government was connecting far flung areas of the country to mainstream through road network which would increase economic activities of the under developed areas.

Earlier, addressing the inaugural ceremony of PPMI, Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan's economy had revived and showing positive growth over the past four years.

The economy was struggling with stagnant growth, unsustainable fiscal and external deficits, flagging investment and crippling energy constraints when our government assumed charge in 2013. "Concerted efforts of our economic team have restored economic stabilization, peace and security", he said adding the growth rate of 5.3 percent registered in 2016-17 was the highest in past nine years.

The government, he said also managed to bring down the fiscal deficit from 8 percent to 3.6 percent (July-March 2016-17). Similarly, he said, health coverage to every citizen was one of the top priorities of PML (N) government which was obvious from the funds allocated to health and population welfare at Rs 56 billion in 2017-18 compared to Rs 30 billion in 2016-17 - an increase of 87 per cent.

"For national health programme, Rs 10 billion have been kept during 2017-18 and another Rs 9 billion are provided for new hospital in the country", Ahsan Iqbal said. He maintained the federal government was more conscious of education for every child of the nation.

He said the development outlay in education had been tremendously increased from Rs 30 billion in 2016-17 to Rs 47 billion in 2017-18 - an increase of 57 per cent.