He said that in the present era of economic difficulties, we needed collaboration and must shun confrontation because the population of the country was rapidly increasing and every year we added the population equal to New Zeeland. “Development depends on stability and social harmony,” he stressed. “Pakistan is blessed with talented youth but if we failed to improve the environment and the country’s economy it would be a demographic disaster,”he added. He said that when the system was on the path of confrontation instead of tolerance and collaboration, the dream of prosperity could not be achieved. Ahsan Iqbal said that elections would be held on its schedule after the incumbent government completes its tenure. This he said while talking to a private news channel. The minister also stressed the need for political consistency as the country could not be left in a state of “uncertainty” and “economic turmoil”. He said the economic crises were a global issue impacting Pakistan as well. He added that the country’s present situation demanded political stability to stabilize the economy. He said the country could not be allowed to go towards an economic crunch to fulfill the demands of Imran Khan for early elections. Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Reforms Professor Ahsan Iqbal said here Friday that the opposition should return to the assemblies and take another u-turn. He was addressing the students at Ghulam Ishaq Khan (GIK) Institute in a programme organised by the Science Society. The minister said that Sindh and Baluchistan had already been destroyed by the recent devastating floods and the fresh elections could not be held, demanding that in the best interest of the country and its masses Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should take another u-turn and rejoin the assembles and wait for the elections which would be held at a due time when the present government completes its constitutional tenure. About the feeble economy, he said that Pakistan had lost the last 25 years due to a lack of continuity of policies to improve our economy.