Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday said that Pakistan played a vital role in securing a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, demonstrating that what appeared impossible on the diplomatic front could be achieved through effective leadership and timely initiatives.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Healthrix Pakistan Training and Development Centre, he said the Iran conflict was rooted in 47 years of strained relations during which both countries had remained unwilling to sit together for negotiations. He warned that had the conflict continued, oil prices could have surged to between 200 dollars and 250 dollars per barrel, triggering severe inflation and economic turmoil across the world.
He said that even an increase beyond 150 dollar per barrel would have devastated poor communities in 193 countries, pushing millions below the poverty line and worsening global economic conditions. According to him, Pakistan’s leadership took timely diplomatic initiatives and, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the efforts of Field Marshal Asim Munir, succeeded in bringing Iran and the United States from the battlefield to the negotiating table in Islamabad.
Recalling recent economic challenges, Ahsan Iqbal said that difficult but timely decisions taken by the coalition government under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saved Pakistan from economic default and placed the country back on the path of stability and growth. He said Pakistan had been progressing successfully under the Vision 2025 framework and receiving international recognition before that momentum was disrupted in 2018, leading to serious economic difficulties.
The minister claimed that by April 2022, the country had reached a stage where development funds for the final quarter could not be released because of financial constraints, indicating an internal default situation. He added that international observers had begun speculating about the possibility of Pakistan facing an external default similar to Sri Lanka.
Ahsan Iqbal praised coalition partners for putting aside political differences and jointly governing for sixteen months to rescue the economy. He said the alliance had chosen national interests over political gains and opted against early elections after carefully reviewing the country’s financial condition.
Comparing the situation to saving an injured loved one, he said responsible leadership could not remain indifferent while the country’s economy was in distress. He maintained that his party sacrificed political capital to stabilize the state and safeguard Pakistan’s economic future.
Paying tribute to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Ahsan Iqbal described him as a courageous leader who took difficult but necessary decisions in the national interest. He said these measures helped bring inflation down from 38 percent to around six to seven percent, while the policy rate had also declined considerably over the past two years.
The minister said Pakistan’s economic image had improved internationally despite what he described as a prevailing narrative of pessimism in domestic discourse. He urged the youth to reject negativity, polarization and extremism, warning that organized campaigns had promoted hatred within society.
Recalling the assassination attempt on him in 2018, Ahsan Iqbal said the incident remained a reminder of the need to eliminate intolerance and hatred from society and encourage young people towards positive and constructive thinking.
He reiterated that the bold decisions taken under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership had strengthened Pakistan’s economy.