Ahsan Calls For National Emergency On Human Resource Development - UrduPoint
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Oct, 2026)
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, has called for treating education, health, population, and human resource development as national emergencies to help Pakistan compete globally.
"Education is a national emergency; health is a national emergency… So, all of these social sectors need a national emergency,” he stated in a televised address at a mission meeting on human resource development—the seventh of the 11 national economic missions under “Uraan Pakistan.”
The minister argued that Pakistan needs:
- Long-term planning
- Inter-provincial coordination
- Administrative reforms
to improve human development outcomes. He noted that political instability and policy discontinuity have hindered the successful implementation of long-term plans, while other countries have thrived with 10-15 year plans.
"We also have to make up for what we have lost in the past in terms of time,” Ahsan said, emphasizing Pakistan's potential to overcome challenges if it acts urgently.
He also highlighted the need for:
- Effective local governments as a third tier of government to improve service delivery at the grassroots level.
- Universal primary enrolment
- Addressing child stunting
- Improving health
- Maintaining a balance between population growth and available resources.
Ahsan cautioned that Pakistan's population growth rate has increased to 2.55 percent, potentially perpetuating poverty and social unrest if not managed properly. He emphasized the importance of investments in education, health, and population, requiring continuity over at least a decade.
He called for:
- Stability of tenure for officials working in social sectors
- Performance-based contracts with clearly defined key performance indicators (KPIs)
The Planning Ministry, he assured, will provide research and technical support but will not seek credit for others' work.
"Our only interest is that what we have planned, it should get done,” Ahsan remarked. He also stressed Pakistan's need to adapt to rapid technological change, particularly artificial intelligence, focusing on developing human resources capable of competing globally.