Continuity in development policies is essential if Pakistan is to withstand mounting global uncertainty, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal said in Islamabad on Monday. Addressing a major sustainability gathering, the minister argued that institutional preparedness and long-term strategic planning must accompany policy stability if countries are to manage the pressures created by emerging technologies, climate change, geopolitical tensions and economic challenges.
Why Continuity in Development Policies Matters for Pakistan
Mr Iqbal was speaking at the 29th Sustainable Development Conference and the 4th Sustainability Investment Expo, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) at Allama Iqbal Open University. He said rapidly evolving technologies and growing climate challenges were fundamentally transforming economies and societies, which in turn required governments to adopt proactive and forward-looking strategies.
The minister framed the choice facing nations in simple terms. Change, he said, is inevitable, and countries can either remain apprehensive and suffer its consequences or build strategies that convert emerging challenges into opportunities. In his view, the second path is only open to states that maintain their development priorities across political cycles rather than reversing them whenever circumstances shift.
To illustrate the government’s own preparation, Mr Iqbal noted that national centres of excellence have been established in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, big data and cloud computing. These institutions, he said, are intended to equip the country’s youth with the skills required to compete in a rapidly changing global economy.
Geopolitics and the Global Economy
Turning to the international environment, the minister emphasised the growing link between geopolitics and economic stability. Conflicts and geopolitical rivalries, including the Russia-Ukraine war, are having far-reaching consequences for the global economy, he observed, with effects visible in energy markets, food security, international trade and global supply chains.
For an economy such as Pakistan’s, which remains exposed to external shocks, this backdrop strengthens the case for predictable and consistent planning. Abrupt policy changes, he suggested, leave a country less able to absorb disruptions that originate far beyond its borders.
Pakistan-China Cooperation and Political Continuity
The planning minister also addressed a symposium on Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building on Monday, where he called for stronger institutional cooperation between Pakistan and China. Political continuity, effective governance and people-centred development, he said, are essential for sustainable national progress.
Mr Iqbal suggested that Pakistan’s political parties could draw valuable lessons from the Communist Party of China’s emphasis on public service, self-reform, organisational discipline and long-term national planning. He stated that Pakistan had paid a heavy price for abandoning sound policies whenever governments changed, and he stressed that national development plans must rise above electoral cycles.
As evidence of what sustained commitment can deliver, he pointed to the first phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which he said had turned a memorandum into approximately $25 billion in investment. According to the minister, that phase delivered more than 8,000 megawatts of electricity, 888 kilometres of highways and motorways, and around 236,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Proposals for Political Corridors
Referring to Uraan Pakistan and CPEC 2.0, Mr Iqbal proposed five political corridors between the Communist Party of China and Pakistani political parties to complement the five economic corridors. These would cover strategic dialogue, governance and development learning, youth and leadership development, cultural connectivity, and regional peace and cooperation.
He also proposed reciprocal exchanges between young leaders of the two sides, beginning with an initial cohort in 2027 and including structured learning opportunities at China’s Central Party School. Congratulating President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China on the conclusion of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, he said the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations offered an opportunity to open a new chapter of political and institutional cooperation.
A Recurring Theme in Pakistan’s Policy Debate
The minister’s remarks echo an argument he has made on several earlier occasions, namely that stability and consistency are prerequisites for lasting growth. His message at the SDPI conference extended that theme to a world in which technology, climate and conflict are reshaping the economic landscape simultaneously. Hence the central point of the address was that continuity in development policies is not merely an administrative preference but a strategic requirement for a country seeking to compete and recover in an uncertain global environment.
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