Uraan Pakistan: Senate panel questions C/A target shortfall

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Friday pressed the government for answers over a shortfall in the current account target set under Uraan Pakistan, questioning officials on the reasons behind the gap and the timeline for meeting the benchmark.

The Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, chaired by Senator Quratulain Marri, reviewed implementation of Uraan Pakistan, including progress against approved targets and key economic indicators.

At the outset, officials attributed the deviation from the current account target to higher workers’ remittances, saying the balance was expected to move closer to the prescribed target in the coming years.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives briefed the committee on the long-term vision of Uraan Pakistan through 2035, the 13th Five-Year Plan, and the annual development and Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) plans for 2026-27.

Officials also presented targets for 2028-29 covering GDP growth, investment, inflation, exports, workers’ remittances, IT exports and the debt-to-GDP ratio.

The committee; however, turned its attention to the pace of progress on major railway infrastructure projects, including ML-1, the Rohri-Nawabshah railway link and the proposed Gwadar railway connection.

Senator Shahadat Awan questioned officials about the status of the projects and sought details of negotiations currently under way.

Officials said the negotiations were being conducted in accordance with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directions.

Awan; however, cautioned that negotiations could not, by themselves, be presented as tangible progress. He called for clear timelines and visible movement on projects that occupy a prominent place in the government’s development agenda.

The committee was also briefed on the proposed rail link between Thar coalfields and Port Qasim.

Officials said work on the project was under way and was expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The meeting also examined the incorporation of universal accessibility and inclusivity into development planning, particularly through revisions to the PC-I Proforma.

The ministry informed the committee that, in line with its directives, accessibility considerations had been incorporated into the revised PC-I Proforma to ensure their implementation through development projects.

The committee welcomed the development, noting that recommendations made during its meeting last year had resulted in accessibility being incorporated at the PC-I stage – potentially moving the issue from policy rhetoric into the design of development projects.

Senator Marri stressed that development policies must ultimately translate into practical facilities, services and opportunities for persons with disabilities.

She expressed satisfaction that the committee’s recommendations had produced a concrete policy-level change, underscoring the importance of embedding inclusivity in projects from the planning stage rather than addressing it as an afterthought.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026