Ahsan Iqbal affirms Pakistan’s strong resolve to defend itself

ISLAMABAD, MAY 15 (APP/DNA):Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday said that the nation has a strong belief in its ability to defend itself and to live as an equal among the world’s nations.

Speaking at certificate awards ceremony of 37th Senior Management Course, he said that Pakistan has done its utmost to prevent war, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the country is fully prepared to cooperate with any independent international investigation.

Referring to recent tensions, the minister said that whether the incident was planned by the Indian leadership or carried out by extremist elements, it appears that there was a premeditated intent to achieve certain objectives. From the beginning, they ignored all warnings, and on May 7, they launched an operation inside Pakistan.

The minister praised the response of the armed forces and the nation, saying, “The way our armed forces and people stood together will be remembered in history for a long time.”

He stressed that the recent events served as a reminder that success is not solely dependent on numbers or advanced technology, but on the courage and commitment of individuals. “Our pilots, Mashallah, and the entire eco-system successfully countered the extremists. This is a moment of immense pride for us all.”

Talking on the country’s economic challenges, the minister recalled a critical moment on April 1, 2022, when, for the first time in history, the fourth-quarter release of the development budget was withheld.

“Even during the time when Pakistan conducted its nuclear tests and faced international sanctions, we managed to fund our development budget for the entire year. Yet in FY 2022, the government was unable to release the final quarter’s allocation,” he said.

He said before the no-confidence motion—held on April 10 or 11—the Ministry of Finance had informed that it did not have a single rupee available for release. “Technically, we had defaulted internally before the new government even assumed office.”

Describing the situation the new government inherited as extremely difficult, Iqbal commended the Pakistani people for their resilience. “Overcoming the crisis without an IMF program was impossible, so we had no choice but to continue with the agreement on the terms set by the previous government.”

He especially lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for taking bold and courageous decisions during this turbulent time. “The whole nation deserves credit for its patience and support.”

The minister pointed out that in order to align domestic fuel prices with international markets, the government raised petrol and diesel prices by Rs 150 in a single month and eliminated subsidies—steps that inevitably caused inflation.

Despite these difficult measures, there was not a single protest from Karachi to Peshawar, he added.

The public understood that these steps were necessary, and the crisis was not of their making but inherited from the past.