Islamabad: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, has stressed the need to take kinetic actions, particularly socio-economic uplift in districts affected by conflict, to improve the situation in a sustainable manner. He was chairing the 2nd Steering Committee meeting on the socio-political domain, following the directives of the Central Apex Committee concerning the revised National Action Plan 2021 in Islamabad today.
According to Radio Pakistan, during the meeting, Ahsan Iqbal emphasized the critical challenge of terrorism the country is currently facing in Balochistan. He stated that the formation of this committee is to ensure that civilian agencies must complement their efforts besides the security agencies, performing their duties effectively. The Minister highlighted the need for a holistic approach to counterterrorism, with inclusive development and governance as the core principle of the agenda.
He further emphasized that the nation's development cannot be achieved without internal peace and harmony. Ahsan Iqbal urged that provinces need to take charge of their developmental, educational, and governance initiatives, particularly in addressing the fires of terrorism. He also stressed that this must be viewed as a national agenda, with provinces playing a proactive role. Effective collaboration and communication among provinces is vital to achieving success.