After quite successfully averting the large looming threat of default, Pakistan was not now in the process of stabilizing a somewhat staggering national economy which was showing appreciably an upward trajectory. Official quarters concerned are reporting every now and then that all economic indicators were moving in the right direction showing indications of positive improvements.
With this ongoing struggle for stabilizing the national economy, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif welcomed New Year 2025 by unveiling a five-year transformation plan for the economy “Uraan Pakistan” targeting export growth, digital transformation, and sustainable development for national progress. Rather quite ambitious targets , fixing economic targets for next five years and long term up to 2035 included 6 percent Gross Development Product (GDP) growth increasing its size to one trillion dollars in next ten years, creation of as much as one million employment opportunities and attracting $ 10 billion in investment annually by 2028 Objectives of “Uraan Pakistan” also included tackling impacts of the climate change, attaching greater attention to energy and infrastructure sector and e endeavoring for creating of an equitable society
Some targets fixed for achieving during next five year under this transformation plan, included taking country’s exports to a high level of $ 60 billion annually, adopting measures for moving Information Technology’s free licencing industry to $ 5 billion by preparing two lakhs IT graduates annually, emission of Greenhouse Gases will be reduced up to 50 percent, increasing cultivable land by more than 20 percent and water storage facility up to 10 million acres feet (MAF) , enhancing share of renewable energy share in the energy Sector to 10 percent, reducing the ratio of poverty by 13 per cent and launching of massive development projects under Public Private Partnership by promoting peoples partnership . The PM while launching “Uraan Pakistan” transformation plan duly emphasized that macroeconomic stability had been achieved highlighting the dire need for “sacrifice, unity and hard work” for achieving the sustained growth, export-led growth was Pakistan’s ultimate saviour, underlined the importance of fostering competition, reducing inefficiencies and encouraging investment, expressed hope for desirable collaborative efforts between the institutions and the government would hopefully sustain the country’s economic recovery and emphatically called for investment in the digital and technology sectors and artificial intelligence (AI) ‘s role in boosting productivity and competitiveness in the country in a positive manner.
The plan has been set against the back out of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recent bailout package and the official quarters at the appropriate highest level have been emphatically stating that if all goes well as being planned this will be the last time Pakistan had sought IMF help.
With ambitious goals and a commitment to sustainable growth, the Uraan Pakistan initiative by the PM aims to transform Pakistan’s economy and position it as a regional economic powerhouse over the next five years hoping that all will go well as planned and expected.
As briefly stated above, Uraan Pakistan targets were quite ambitious and perquisites for its success and achievement of the targets in next five years included national unity, political stability, complete maintenance of law and order and commitment on the part of all for achieving something which under the prevailing circumstances rather seems difficult. For realising the ambitious targets, everyone will have to work, irrespective of being in the public or private sector committed, determinedly and sincerely for developing Pakistan as an economically strong country. This scribe cannot help but to state here quite regretfully and shamefully that ours was a nation of work shirkers and making them all to work was quite difficult nay impossible to say the least.
However, the federal government should make concerted efforts for securing the help and assistance from the legislators at the federal and provincial levels for reaching out to their voters in particular and the people at large, explain to them the salient features of Uraan Pakistan and tell them what they can do for its success.
The federal government just should not sit idle after the plan launching and get its main highlights in booklets in easily understood manner in all languages written and spoken in all parts of the country telling the people as to what the country, their own motherland, expected from them to do as a national obligation.
The federal budget 2024-25 documents contained mention of 13th Five Year Plan and the Just c launched Uraan Pakistan was also of five-years duration mainly. This also needs to be clarified by the official quarters concerned to avoid any confusion in the minds of the people at large, please.
