Reforms help ministry save Rs 700 billion in five years: Ahsan

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform, Ahsan Iqbal has claimed that his ministry saved Rs 700 billion by rationalizing development projects during the last five years. He expressed these views while addressing an interactive session with editors and senior journalists here on Thursday. He said that average growth rate of the country was 3 percent from 2008 to 2013 and now the average growth rate has reached 5 percent which is a success of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.
"The economy of the country has been improved. The foreign investment has been increased and terrorism has been controlled to a large extent in the country. We have largely overcome energy shortfall and electricity load shedding," he added. He claimed that some people under specific agenda are running propaganda campaign against the democratic system and political leadership to create destabilization in the country.
He said that these elements do not want to give credit of peace and economic development in the country to a democratic government. He said that common people know that the condition of Pakistan of 2018 is better than that of 2013. Iqbal said that protest and sit-ins in the country also affected the economic development of the country. He said that the projects of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had been delayed due to sit-ins in the country.
He said that industries and business have been expanded in the country due to uninterrupted electricity. While referring to the power projects, the minister said that the PML-N government has completed power projects of more then 10000MW during last five years. He said that the PML-N government has also completed those projects which became white elephant in the previous governments.
He said that the government completed Lowari Tunnel Project, Kachi Canal project, Motorway N-85 and M-8 projects, Lyari Expressway project and Uprising Terbela Project. He said that Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project (969 MW), New Islamabad Airport and other projects would be completed in this year.
About China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the minister said that Pakistan is progressing with each passing day and the confidence of foreign investors has been restored after CPEC. He said that the CPEC has become attraction for other countries. Now the others countries are also becoming part of the CPEC, he said. He said that China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) of $46 billion in one year with Pakistan.
He said that China has given loans at around 2 percent interest rate to Pakistan for infrastructure projects under the CPEC. He said that loan would be paid back during 20 to 25 years. He said that propaganda is being spread to damage the narrative of China in Pakistan about CPEC. Answering a question, the minister said if the courts orders the government to summon former dictator General Pervez Musharraf (retd) then it would implement the order.
Answering another question, he said that Pakistan had remained in Grey and Black Lists of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) from 2008 to 2013. He said that Pakistan was removed from the Grey List of FATF in 2015 and was put in White List due to the efforts of PML-N government including legislation against terrier financing.
He said that Pakistan Army, security forces and police have played tremendous role to curb terrorism in the country. He said that some eternal and external elements are hatching conspiracy to create clash between the political forces and military to destabilize the country.