ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal Friday said Vision-2025 was a key strategic initiative to transform the economy of 200 million people into knowledge economy for inclusive development and shared prosperity.
Ahsan Iqbal announced launching of vision 2025 “Passionate Pakistan” campaign to brand the country locally and internationally to highlight its positive attributes.
“The time has come to work towards building the national image of Pakistan and initiating a brand for country,” Ahsan Iqbal said chairing the consultative meeting on “Pakistan Passionate” brand initiative here.
The meeting was attended by chief executive officers (CEOs) of leading local and multinational companies. Passionate Pakistan initiative is aimed at highlighting the passion of Pakistani people in different walks of life.
The minister said branding of Pakistan through this initiative would introduce the country to outside world through the passion of the people of Pakistan in fields of culture, food, sports, arts, business, academia, technology etc.
He particularly mentioned the youth who had deep passion and said the new generation could play a pivotal role to make Passionate Pakistan initiative a success.
Shedding light on the economic recovery during last two years, the minister said that the country crossed 4 per cent growth rate after seven years and hoped that it would be over 5 percent during the current financial year.
By end of tenure of present government, growth rate was expected to settle above 6 per cent, he added.
He said other economic indicators such as stock market, foreign exchange reserve, inflation, investment etc. were showing positive trends because of economy-driven policies of the present government.
He said 10000 MGW would be added in the national grid by 2018 and power crisis would be solved with supply of this electricity. The present government was also upgrading the transmission and distribution system of electricity, which had been neglected in last fifteen years.
Ahsan Iqbal said peace and security had seen visible improvement in last two years and today Karachi, Balochsitan and other parts of country were showing visible improvement and were much better as compared to 2013.
He said the operation against terrorism had also produced dividends in the form of secured Pakistan.
The success was an outcome of harmonious relationship among
civil-military leadership and consensus among all parties and organs of state, he said, adding,”We need similar synergy in economic field also.”
He said public sector had lost capacity after failing to attract the talent due to financial constraints. It was private sector that was attracting pool of talent.
He said professional support from corporate sector in CPEC, financial evaluation; strategic management, information technology etc. would be helpful to implement the initiatives envisioned in Vision-2025.
The campaign would be run with the help of top brand managers of the country, he added.
The CEOs of leading companies assured their full support to the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform in its “Passionate Pakistan” initiative, which they believed would greatly boost soft image of the country globally. The participants urged that the media should be involved in the campaign to change the focus from negativity to positivity.
