Policy continuity key to Pakistan’s long-term development

July 29, 2026 (MLN): Policy continuity for at least 10 to 15 years is essential for Pakistan to achieve sustainable national development, while frequent policy reversals following changes in government have repeatedly disrupted the country’s progress, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday.

Addressing the Strategic Dialogue and launch ceremony of Development Advocate Pakistan, the minister said long-term national development plans could only succeed when successive governments maintained consistency in policies instead of replacing the entire policy framework after every political transition.

He said Pakistan’s previous development roadmaps, including Vision 2020 and Vision 2025, could not achieve their intended objectives due to policy discontinuity. Even the best-designed development programmes, he added, could not deliver results without sustained implementation.

Ahsan Iqbal identified Pakistan’s fragmented socio-economic structure as its biggest challenge, stressing that economic growth needed to be accompanied by improvements in education, health, population management and social development to ensure lasting prosperity.

Under the Uraan Pakistan initiative, the government had adopted a comprehensive strategy to address structural challenges, with investment in education, healthcare, youth and women remaining essential for national development.

The minister highlighted the country’s demographic pressures, saying Pakistan’s population had reached around 260 million and could rise to between 370 million and 380 million by 2050 without effective population management measures.

He said climate change had increased threats to water and food security and called for close coordination with provincial governments to implement effective population control and social development programmes.

Expressing concern over public health indicators, Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan had the highest number of Hepatitis C patients in the world, with more than 10 million people affected by the disease.

He said the federal government had decided to make Islamabad and adjoining areas a Hepatitis-free region, while similar efforts were being extended to Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

He urged provincial governments to support the nationwide campaign to eliminate the disease.

The minister also highlighted the growing burden of diabetes and urged citizens to adopt healthier lifestyles to reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases.

On polio eradication, he said Pakistan and Afghanistan were the only countries that had yet to completely eradicate the disease. He described attacks on polio workers as against the national interest and a matter of shame.

He stressed that disease prevention required behavioural change and sustained public awareness campaigns alongside government interventions.

Ahsan Iqbal said scientific research showed that nearly 90% of a child’s mental development was completed by the age of five, making early childhood care and development critical for building a productive society.

He added that several social problems, including crime and drug addiction, were often linked to adverse childhood experiences, underlining the need for greater investment in children’s early years.

The minister urged the media to give greater prominence to national issues including education, health and population instead of focusing predominantly on political disputes.

Under Uraan Pakistan, he announced that one million young people would be trained as ambassadors of social change to promote awareness about education, healthcare and population issues within their communities.

Describing youth as Pakistan’s greatest national asset, Ahsan Iqbal also called on citizens to contribute to maintaining cleanliness and protecting the environment.

Citing the impact of poor civic behaviour, he said around 4,500 tonnes of plastic waste had been removed from drains in Lahore following recent rains. He noted that indiscriminate disposal of plastic and garbage often contributed to urban flooding.

He said infrastructure development alone could not address such challenges without positive changes in public attitudes and civic responsibility.

The minister said Pakistan’s literacy rate remained around 60%, while nearly 40% of children suffered from stunting due to malnutrition, highlighting the need to address these fundamental social challenges.

He stressed that investment in artificial intelligence, modern technologies and infrastructure was imperative to improve Pakistan’s competitiveness and accelerate economic transformation.

Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan’s future depended on sustained structural reforms, long-term planning and collective national commitment to overcome deep-rooted socio-economic challenges and achieve sustainable development.

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