From Our Correspondent
LAHORE: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday said the government would expedite the completion of all hydro-related projects, including Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams, to prevent India from gaining any strategic advantage.
“We are prioritising them so that Pakistani water is secure,” Iqbal said while speaking to a delegation of engineers led by Secretary General Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) Engr Ameer Zameer.
He stated that work on hydro projects was being prioritised in response to India’s water aggression.
India plans to dramatically increase the water it draws from a major river that feeds Pakistani farms downstream, as part of what it claims to be retaliatory action for a deadly last month attack on tourists in IIOJK’s Pahalgam that New Delhi blames on Islamabad, according to four people familiar with the matter, media reported.
While discussing plans for the green initiative, the planning minister stated that engineers were receiving training in China.
“The prime minister has sent over a thousand agricultural engineers to China for training, who will complete their training this year and bring about an agricultural Green Revolution 2.0,” he said. “We aim to develop our own seeds and modernise our dairy and livestock sectors.”
The planning minister observed that within the budget, funding has been allocated for an internship for engineers. “Thousands of young engineers across the country will be able to receive on-the-job training so that they receive better job opportunities in the market.”
However, he stated that Pakistan would only have a development budget of Rs1 trillion to do all of this.
“Our ministers required Rs3 trillion to complete our ongoing projects.
But, because of this shortfall, we are putting a cap on low-priority projects and will try to complete our high-priority projects as quickly as possible.
Iqbal further stated that Pakistan will raise its defence budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26 keeping in view the recent escalation with India and New Delhi suspending a key river water-sharing treaty with Islamabad.
Earlier, the government planned to present the federal budget on June 2 but on Friday, Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Shahzad said that the budget would be presented on June 10.
The planning minister clarified that the budget had not been delayed due to any pressure from the IMF.
Earlier, Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has confirmed that the defence budget will be increased in the upcoming fiscal plan, while also assuring that the government intends to provide relief to the public, media reported on Sunday.
He added that there was no pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding the finalisation of the budget.
Addressing a delegation of engineers led by the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) Secretary General, Engineer Ameer Zameer, Iqbal said that water-related projects are being prioritised in response to India’s water-related aggression.
He added that dedicated funds would be allocated to such projects on a priority basis to ensure the country’s long-term water security.
Iqbal said the government will ensure the early completion of all hydro-related projects, including the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, to prevent India from taking advantage.
Iqbal clarified that the delay in the upcoming federal budget is due to the prime minister’s foreign visit and the Eid holidays, not due to any pressure from the IMF. He stressed that there was no IMF pressure on the budget, and the government was committed to offering relief to the people.
