Says both parties remain committed to Pakistan’s development
While responding to reservations raised by PPP spokesperson Shazia Marri regarding the government not consulting the party on key decisions, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said that differences in a coalition government were inevitable, but they did not necessarily indicate a problem.
Responding to the PPP leader’s statement, Ahsan Iqbal, speaking to reporters in Karachi along with Sindh Energy Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, said that “slight differences” were usual when governments were formed via a coalition.
“These problems happen even in a house — between siblings, between husband and wife — but it does not mean it is a problem,” he said, adding that both parties had managed their differences amicably.
“The two major political parties in the country have their distinct ideologies but one vision, so they have consensus,” he said. “That vision is Pakistan.” He said that both parties kept their differences aside whenever it came to the country’s development. “We need to keep our politics aside and both parties have to play their part,” he said, adding that the understanding between the parties existed since the charter of democracy was signed.
“This is the beauty of Pakistan’s politics, that two parties with independent values have such maturity,” he said. “Rather than harming [the country] with their differences, they collaborate and can work for the country’s future,” he added.
He said that the internal and external challenges faced by Pakistan needed everyone’s joint effort.
“We don’t need the politics of confrontation, we need political collaboration,” he added. This collaboration is the essence of the Charter of Democracy signed by Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto,” he said.
He added that Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb would soon convene the long-awaited National Finance Commission meeting.
Addressing concerns over Pakistan’s digital infrastructure, Iqbal highlighted the importance of securing cyberspace, comparing it to protecting the nation’s physical borders.
“Technology is both an opportunity and a threat. Cyberspace is a new frontier, and every country is striving to defend it,” he said, noting that Pakistan has been slow to address these challenges.
Iqbal also pointed to progress in software exports, which have increased by 34% due to uninterrupted VPN services provided by the government. However, he acknowledged that Pakistan still lags behind other nations in digital preparedness.
“We need to work diligently to ensure the security of our people and critical infrastructure,” he said, warning that cyber vulnerabilities could destabilise financial and energy systems.
Ahsan Iqbal said that the country is facing an
The Planning Minister said that the PTI’s founder will be acquitted when he will show the original receipts. “You could not swallow 50 billion of the country,” he said. “You were demanding receipts from others, on your turn you are refusing to do so,” PML-N leader said.
He said the PPP sharing power with the PML-N, “this light music used to happen in a coalition government”. “The PML-N and the People’s Party are two big political parties, and they used to tackle mutual issues conveniently”.
“But that doesn’t mean there’s a serious rift. Whatever the issue is, we handle it internally in a mature manner,” the planning minister told reporters in Karachi, speaking alongside PPP leader and Sindh Minister Nasir Hussain Shah.
