Elections to be held on its scheduled time: Ahsan Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Monday rejected the probability of delay in the election and said that there is no plan under consideration to expand the period of assembly.

Talking to a private news channel, he said polls would be held on its scheduled time after the completion of the constitutional term of the assembly. The government would not take any undemocratic step regarding the enlargement of its government; he said adding that the government would conduct a free and fair election.

The delay in the election did not make any sense, he said, adding that the coalition government would conduct free and fair elections in October and November after completing its tenure.

The coalition government also focused on the stability of the economy on a priority basis, and very soon relief would be provided to the populace, he added.

The country needed economic and political stability, and everyone should play their role in that regard, he added.

READ: PTI chief stopped CPEC projects in 2018, alleges Ahsan Iqbal

Earlier in the month, Ahsan Iqbal stressed the need for making collective efforts to put the country on a consistent path of progress and development, saying it was high time to take all Pakistanis along in achieving the national goals.

“The time has come to bring all Pakistanis forward and give them an opportunity to play a role in the development of the country,” he said while addressing a two-day conference titled “Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit-2023,”.

He was of the view to extend all possible support to the business companies earning dollars and contributing to build the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

The minister said this year, the country faced worst impacts of global climate change, and now the incumbent government was working to overcome the issues of water and food security by switching over to smart agriculture system.

Ahsan Iqbal said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a key component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), was a game-changer project for Pakistani besides the entire region of South Asia.

He said around $ 29 billion had been invested in the CPEC-related project in a period of three years.